Turkish police ask Armenian children to leave

AKHTAMAR (Armenian Weekly)—A group of Armenian children from Armenia were told to leave Holy Cross (Sourp Khatch) church on the island of Akhtamar for lighting candles, singing, and praying.

The children, who were winners of Hay Aspet’s (Armenian Knight) television contest, were on a visit to Turkey.

Karin Tonoyan, founder and director of Hay Aspet, told News.am that the children wanted to light candles in the church, “but policemen said that it is forbidden, as ‘it is a museum and the walls will be stained.’ I told the children to stand in the center, not to stain the walls. The Children started singing and praying; but suddenly a policeman came and told us to leave the church.”

Tonoyan said that the kids left the church, but continued to sing outside it. They were not allowed to burn incense by the Khatchkars (cross-stones) or gravestones in the church’s surrounding area.

“The children tried to burn incense near one of the khatchkars but a Turkish policeman came up and stepped on it,” Tonoyan said.

A video clip posted on YouTube shows the kids singing “Der Voghormya” (“Lord Have Mercy”) as they are being told to step outside, where they continue singing the hymn. To watch the clip, click here.

Established in 2005, Hay Aspet Educational Philanthropic Fund is an organization based in Yerevan, which aims to encourage youth patriotism and activism in schools, through extracurricular activities, after school programs, and campaigns. One of their recent projects was organizing a children’s trip to historic Armenia, which ended on Aug. 17.

Professor Kemal Cicek

ANKARA (Anatolia News Agency)—Armenians cannot demand compensation from Turkey for property they lost during the end of the Ottoman period, the head of the Turkish Historical Society has said, arguing that the matter was closed in the 1930s.

The matter of compensation ended after the payment of $900,000 by Turkey in 1934 as a result of an agreement signed by Turkey and the United States, Professor Kemal Cicek, head of the Armenian Studies Desk at the Turkish Historical Society, told Anatolia news agency on Monday.

Regarding claims that buildings like the Cankaya Presidential Palace and the Erzurum Congress Building were Armenian properties, Cicek said: “Documents on the history of the buildings can be found in the archives of the Cankaya Palace. The issue has ended for us.”

Concerning compensation suits filed by two Armenians living in the United States, Cicek said they had documents obtained from Turkish and American archives.

“These suits don’t have legal validity,” he said. “Because according to my research, commissions were established in the United States and Turkey on the compensation demands of Armenians during the period between the Treaty of Lausanne [in 1923] and 1937. The commissions put an end to these demands under an international agreement.”

Commenting on the statements that the records of the properties that were seized from the Armenians were lost, Cicek said: “The Armenians that left had their properties recorded and it was required to send a copy of these records to the center. We cannot know whether they were sent or not during times of war. Some of these records may be at revenue offices or at the depots of provinces or townships. This requires extensive research.”

“However, these records are not, as claimed, in the Ottoman archives” stated Cicek.

“There is no secrecy and no reason to keep these records secret. Considering that this issue was closed with the Treaty of Lausanne and the compensation agreement, there is no reason to keep these records secret,” he said. “These may have been damaged during the war, like many other documents. Their surfacing would not be disadvantageous to Turkey, as some claim.”

Team "Ararat 11"

ARARAT PROVINCE, Turkey—Responding to a story reported in Asbarez about an Armenian-American expedition raising the flags of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic at summit of Mount Ararat, the president of the local Ararat province chamber of commerce said if local citizens “knew about it [the flags], they would bury the climbers on Ararat.”

The Turkish Habermynet Web site quoted the chamber of commerce president Mehmet Erat making the statement and added that the flags will be taken down and replaced with the Turkish national flag.

On July 15, a team of 11 men, including six from Southern California, two from New Jersey, two from Canada, and one from Fresno reached the summit of Mt. Ararat.

The head of the Turkish Mountaineering Federation Aladdin Karaca claimed to the Hurriyet newspaper that the climbers had not received official permission and climbed Mt. Ararat illegally.

Although the team got the proper permits needed for the climb, once they got there they were told that the Ministry of Tourism had sent a fax saying that they had cancelled the permits.

Noel Gharibian, one of the climbers stated that for the Kurds in the area it was more about business and actually getting people up on the mountain. Thus, the team was able to go on with the climb.

Signing of the Turkish Treaty with the Allies

On August 10, 1920, the Treaty of Sevres was signed between the Ottoman Empire and the Allied Powers after World War I. A significant provision of the document was the inclusion of the Wilsonian Mandate for Armenia, which envisioned a Republic of Armenia that included much of its historic territory.

The relevance of this internationally binding document became even more apparent during last year’s sloppy efforts by Armenia and Turkey to enter into a normalization process without regard for history. The reader is all too familiar with the outcome of the so-called protocols process, but the danger of reverting back to that failed approach still remains as neither party is willing to nullify the documents, which served as the basis for normalization.

Much of the discussion of the protocols debacle centered on Turkey’s preconditions for a quick resolution to the Karabakh conflict, in favor of Azerbaijan and the formation of a commission that would discuss the Armenian Genocide. But a more disturbing point of contention in the protocols documents was the absence of an acknowledgement of the Sevres Treaty, which, for all intents and purposes, laid a concise groundwork for that region of the world and provided comprehensive legal mandates for parties involved.

Due to political realities, the pursuit of the Armenian Cause has evolved into the vocal advocacy for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. In recent years that movement has achieved momentum due in great part to the perseverance and commitment of Armenians throughout the world who have pressured their respective governments for recognition.

However, the Armenian Cause is multi-faceted in nature and encompasses an equally critical component, which includes restitution and reparations for the crime of Genocide. The Sevres Treaty ensures not only provides a basis for the pursuit of the above elements, but also clearly draws a map, which makes Armenians’ territorial claims legally binding and valid in the eyes of the international community.

Many times inadvertently we fall into the position of justifying our demands, where historically no justification is needed since the facts speak for themselves. The Armenian Genocide is an indisputable fact, as is the need for reparations for that crime. World leaders at the time were more cognizant of that than those who followed them since history has shown that complicity in denial has proven to be more expedient politically and economically.

As we mark the 90th anniversary of this landmark document, all efforts should be directed to how effectively the Sevres Treaty can be implemented today from an international legal perspective and how each of the signatories can be pressured into accepting the mandates outlined within that document.

Futile arguments might ensue from naysayers who claim that subsequent efforts and treatises have shaped today’s reality and reversed the provision of the Sevres Treaty. It is time for national political forces to revitalize the relevance of the treaty. At the same time, the Armenian government must include the appropriate provisions of the Sevres Treaty within the context of any future talks with Turkey.

Holy Cross Armenian Church in Akhtamar

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—Two high-level representatives of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, will attend a religious ceremony to be held at the 10th century Holy Cross Armenian Church in Akhtamar, official Etchmiadzin said Monday.

The Holy Cross Church will hold its first mass in nearly a century on September 19, three years after its reopening following a $1.5 million renovation funded by the Turkish government. The latter has allowed Turkey’s Armenian community to hold religious services there once a year.

Ankara has promoted the decision as proof of its commitment to tolerance and a gesture of goodwill toward Armenians. Still, it has resisted requests to return the church, perched on the legendary Akhtamar Island in Lake Van, to the community currently led by Archbishop Aram Ateshian.

Catholicos Karekin II’s chief spokesman, Father Vahram Melikian, described the one-day reopening as a positive but insufficient step. “The Mother See of Saint Echmiadzin hopes that the decision will be revised and the church will be returned to the Armenian community that will use in full,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.

Melikian said Ateshian, who will preside over the mass, has asked the supreme leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church to send representatives to the high-profile ceremony expected to draw Turkish state officials. The Catholicos has accepted the request and will be represented at the event by a bishop and another senior cleric from his headquarters, added Melikian.

It is not clear whether Armenian government officials will also attend. The Armenian ministries of foreign affairs and culture said Monday that they have received no formal invitation from the Turkish side yet.

The Catholicos’ decision could cause controversy in Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora where many regard the mass as a Turkish propaganda ploy. The matter was discussed on Monday by a sub-commission of President Serzh Sarkisian’s advisory Public Council.

Ruben Safrastian, a Turkey scholar chairing the sub-commission, said Ankara wants to exploit the mass for its political agenda. “Having scuttled the process of normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations, Turkey is now trying to show the world that it is trying to normalize those relations,” he said. “In all likelihood, it has prepared that event for this purpose.”

The discussion was initiated by the Van-Vaspurakan non-governmental organization uniting descendants of Armenians who lived in the Van region and survived the 1915 genocide. Its chairman, Romik Hovnanian, accused the Turks of seeking to mislead the world and “drive a wedge” between Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora.

Built between 915 and 921 A.D., the Akhtamar church is one of the few surviving examples of the ancient Armenian civilization in what is now eastern Turkey. Hundreds of Armenian churches built there since the early Middle Ages were destroyed, ransacked or turned into mosques during and after the 1915 mass killings and deporations.

The Appeal Of Turkey

YEREVAN (News.am)—An Armenian woman visiting Turkey from Armenia has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, giving rise to recent suspicious behavior against Armenian tourists.

Anna Davtyan, a 29-year-old citizen of Armenia, and her boyfriend decided to spend their holiday in Antalya. The Sabah newspaper reported that after spending two days in Antalya, Anna decided to travel to Dubai. However, on July 17 she disappeared from the hotel, where she was staying.

Anna’s mother, Karina Davtyan left for Antalya to find her daughter. She said her daughter is six months pregnant and must have been kidnapped.

Armenian tourists are lured to Turkey by promises of five-star accommodations, Mediterranean beaches and life-long memories. However, recently these tourists are targeted for violence and attacks once they arrive in Turkey.

Armenian citizens traveling to Turkey must realize that since there are no diplomatic relations with Turkey, the government of Armenia cannot intervene in cases involving Armenian citizens and the law.

President Serzh Sarkisian

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)—Armenia has asked Turkey to fulfill its responsibilities in the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process, claiming it has already demonstrated its own political will to live up to its obligations in their rapprochement.  

“Armenia demonstrated political will towards normalization of ties with Turkey and expects Turkey to take a step in return,” Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian said on Wednesday during a meeting with Armenian diaspora youth, members of the Miasin movement and the Return Home program, Armenian news portal Panarmenian.net reported.

Turkey and Armenia signed historic twin protocols in October of last year with the hope of bury their century-long animosity while establishing diplomatic relations and opening their long-shut border. Turkey has kept the doors closed since 1993 as a sign of solidarity with its Turkic brethren in Azerbaijan during the war over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pointing to international pressure on Turkey to ratify the protocols—currently at a standstill after Turkey pegged its ratification to the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute—Sarkisian said the whole world is urging Turkey to demonstrate political will in ratifying the protocols. “Ankara is turning a deaf ear,” Sarkisian said, “calling on Armenia to show political will.”

The most sensitive issue for Turkey within the protocols is the opening of the borders with the impoverished South Caucasian country, which was at war with Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. Azerbaijan stridently opposing the opening of the border further complicated the process.

“Despite statements by Turkish authorities, Armenia is ready to accept any expression of friendship,” Sarkisian said.

Holy Cross Armenian Church on Akhtamar Island

YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN)—Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, historian Hayk Demoyan said that the planned religious ceremony scheduled for September 19 at the Holy Cross Armenian Church on Akhtamar Island is just another show by Turkey.

“The 10th century Holy Apostles (Surp Arakelots) Armenian temple has been converted into a mosque. I would rather have the Turkish authorities restore this temple to its original state, instead of organizing a ceremony at Holy Cross,” said Demoyan, describing the planned one-day religious service as an act which is meant to fool the international community, rather than appease it.

He added that it would be prudent if Armenia refrained from sending an official delegation to participate in the ceremony at the Holy Cross church, which was once the seat of the Armenian Catholicos.

The 1,100-year-old Akhtamar Church was opened in 2007 at a ceremony that hosted officials from Armenia and Turkey following a controversial two-year long restoration process by the Turkish government. The restoration cost some $1.7 million.

Earlier this year, Turkey gave permission for an annual religious rite that would take place every year at the church in the second week of September, upon proposal by the Van Governor’s Office and approval by Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertugrul Gunay

The Turkish authorities, who have not placed a cross on the church yet, continue violating provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne signed in 1923, Demoyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

According to the historian, Armenian-Turkish relations should not be assessed as a separate process any longer, but rather it should be addressed within the context of regional development between neighboring countries.

“The first stage of the Armenian-Turkish relations ended with the signing of the two protocols, but not their ratification. The Turkish side devalued the essence of those documents,” Demoyan said.

“These two protocols helped to expose two bluffs by Turkey, which had been misleading the international community ever since Armenia’s independence. The first was that Armenia had territorial claims. The second one concerned the Armenian Genocide. The Turkish side did not ratify the protocols, which envisioned the subcommittee on historic issues, because they came to understand that irrespective of the signing and ratification of the protocols the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide would continue to be a separate process,” added Demoyan.

The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute’s aim is to accurately document and illustrate all materials related to the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. Demoyan has held the post as the museum’s director since 2005.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

ANKARA (Today’s Zaman)—Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu dismissed rumors that circulated last week about the possible opening of the Turkish-Armenian border for a scheduled regional NATO exercises, saying reports to that effect in the media were not accurate.

Turkish media commentators raised questions about the possibility of a border opening between Armenia and Turkey, following reports earlier this month that the Interior Ministry had asked local authorities in the border provinces of Kars and Igdır about preparations for a possible opening.

The ministry had asked the governor’s offices in the two provinces how much time it would take for the gates and roads to be fully functional in the event of a possible border opening, according to reports.

Davutoglu, speaking to reporters in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Saturday, said the communication with the local authorities was nothing but an exchange of information regarding the level of preparedness for a possible post-disaster situation, such as an earthquake, and on ways to deliver aid to victims.

“There is no such thing as the opening of the border. It is not on the government’s agenda and reports to that effect are wrong,” Davutoglu told reporters on the sidelines of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting.

Turkey closed its border in 1993 in solidarity with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Davutoglu had talks with his Azeri counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, while in Almaty, during which the border issue came up. “I have told Elmar as well that there is no such thing as a border opening pending. No one should have any such expectations,” he said.

Turkey is planning to take part in an exercise to be held in Armenia by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center.

Foreign Ministry officials last week told Today’s Zaman that Turkey will participate in the disaster response exercise called “Armenia 2010,” slated to take place from September 11 to 17.. The officials said the border may be opened temporarily during the exercise and solely for the purposes of this particular event. “During technical discussions at NATO headquarters in Brussels a while ago, when such a possibility was raised by NATO officials, the Turkish side responded favorably,” an official said.

On Friday, the Foreign Ministry reaffirmed that a possible border opening would only be for the purposes of the exercise. In a statement, the ministry said an “exceptional and temporary” opening of the border was under consideration in case Turkey is asked to allow the overland transfer of the material to be used in the exercise to Armenia. Other comments and reports regarding this issue do not reflect the truth,” said the statement.

Turkey-Armenia border crossing

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—Armenian officials on Friday were quick to dismiss a report that Turkey is considering temporarily opening its border with Armenia for a NATO disaster-relief exercise in September, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reports.

The AFP news agency quoted an unnamed Turkish diplomat as saying Ankara has decided to participate in an exercise to be held in Armenia’s central Kotayk region by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center.

The drills, scheduled for September 11-17, are expected to bring together up to 1,000 participants from two dozen NATO member and partner states. They will simulate a multinational response to a powerful earthquake resulting in a humanitarian and environmental disaster.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 out of solidarity with Azerbaijan and has since made its reopening conditional on a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that is acceptable to its closest Turkic ally.

Ankara has stuck to this linkage even after signing last October’s agreements with Yerevan to unconditionally normalize Turkish-Armenian relations.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry refrained from officially commenting on the possibility of a temporary border opening. But a diplomatic source in Yerevan shrugged off the Turkish statement as “a public-relations stunt aimed at burnishing Turkey’s image.”

“Armenia has no desire to contribute to that effort,” the source, who asked not to be identified, told RFE/RL. The Armenian government might refuse to let any personnel or vehicles enter the country from Turkey during the exercise, he added.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu

ANKARA (Anatolia News Agency) – Although Turkey has made great strides in eliminating problems with its neighbors, outstanding issues remain with Armenia, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday.

“It is obvious that the refusal of the friendly hand offered by Turkey will mostly damage Armenia itself,” Davutoglu said in a written statement responding to a parliamentary question submitted by the opposition Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP.

“The protocols signed with Armenia formed the initial steps of a normalization process which Turkey considers long-term. The continuation of this process will definitely depend on how willing Armenia is to solve problems,” he said.

Davutoglu said Turkey was attempting to boost its relations with all its neighbors on the basis of mutual respect and good neighborly relations. Turkey’s foreign minister said the solution to the current political conflicts in the southern Caucasus was the main condition for ensuring sustainable security and peace.

Davutoglu said another important condition for the establishment of a comprehensive peace in the southern Caucasus was a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

He said the Turkish government was of the opinion that the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia would have an affirmative impact on efforts to find a solution.

“We saw that negotiations carried out between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan gained momentum after the normalization process, and the two presidents had nine meetings,” Davutoglu said.

Davutoglu said that Ankara has not proposed deploying peacekeepers to Nagorno Karabakh after the conflict’s resolution, the Turkish Anadolu news agency said. He stressed that rumors about such a proposal are untrue.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu

ANKARA (Today’s Zaman)—Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has denied statements attributed to a US official that Washington requested Turkey to stay out of international efforts to resolve a dispute on Iran’s nuclear program and insisted that Ankara was part of the process.

“Iran is our neighbor in the region. We are involved in matters concerning our region, irrespective of who says what to us,” Davutoglu told reporters at a joint press conference following talks with senior EU officials, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, in Istanbul on Tuesday.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, was quoted as saying on Monday that during a telephone conversation with Davutoglu earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Davutoglu to leave Iran’s nuclear dispute to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and that Davutoglu agreed.

But Davutoglu dismissed claims that such a request came from the US. “The US has not conveyed to us any such message,” he said. “There can be no process without our participation. … We have the will to carry this process out with better coordination.”

Turkey and Brazil signed an agreement with Iran on May 17, under which it agreed to send 1,200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for uranium enriched up to 20 percent by Russia and France. But the US immediately dismissed the deal and pressed for sanctions against Iran at the UN Security Council. The sanctions were despite Turkey’s and Brazil’s “no” vote on the measure.

Despite the sanctions, a new round of talks is expected to begin. Russia and France, both members of the UN Security Council and the Vienna Group of negotiators, have called for talks on the basis of the nuclear swap deal; however, it is not clear whether and how Turkey would be involved. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that the countries negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program should take the Turkish-Brazilian plan seriously. “Today we stand for conducting technical consultations in Vienna on the basis of the scheme suggested by Turkey and Brazil together with Iran,” he said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said this week that the Vienna Group—comprising of the US, France, Russia and the IAEA—had accepted Tehran’s proposal that Turkey and Brazil participate in the talks on Iran’s nuclear program. But there has been no confirmation from Turkey or the Vienna Group so far.

Davutoglu said the Tehran declaration of May 17 was still on the table as a possible basis for future talks, adding that, alternatively, a new process might also begin on the basis of a letter Iran’s nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, sent to Ashton. Iran said in the letter sent earlier this month that it’s ready for talks on the country’s nuclear program but that the EU must first guarantee there would be no threats against Tehran.

“Turkey will continue to do its best [to support efforts] in both [tracks],” Davutoglu told reporters.

Meeting with Azeri, Armenian Counterparts:

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will hold separate meetings with his Armenian and Azeri counterparts, Eduard Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov, during the OSCE summit in Almaty, Kazakhstan, reported the Hurriyet newspaper.

According to the newspaper, the ministers will discuss the current situation of the Karabakh conflict resolution and the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement process.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry press secretary Tigran Balayan neither confirmed nor denied the information in the Turkish media about the meeting of the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers in Almaty.

“No information on the meeting of the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers is available,” Balayan said.

Cathedral of the Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar

ISTANBUL (Hurriyet)—Local Turkish ship builders have confirmed on Wednesday that Turkey plans on constructing special boats for an Armenian religious mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akhtamar Island in the eastern Van province, to take place on September 19.

Boat owners in Van are not only working to increase the security and comfort of passengers they will carry to the island for the religious mass, which is the first of its kind since the Armenian Genocide, but are also constructing new boats according to European Union (EU) standards.

“I have almost constructed two boats, and I have been asked to construct another,” local ship builder Suat Belek said.

Belek said there would be a lavatory, kitchen and a lounge on the boats.

It takes more than two months to construct a boat, which costs around $42,000.

Also, the head of the Akhtamar Island Motorized Vehicle Cooperative said almost 40 boats would be allocated for the religious ceremony.

Moreover, Van’s Governor Munir Karaloglu told reporters about preparations for the religious mass, and said that the patriarch of Armenians in Turkey would conduct the religious mass.

The governor said local executives would do everything in their power to host people who came for the religious mass in the best way.

The 1,100-year-old Akhtamar Church was opened in 2007 at a ceremony that hosted officials from Armenia and Turkey following a controversial two-year long restoration process by the Turkish government. The restoration cost some $1.7 million.

The Akhtamar Church was constructed by architect bishop Manuel between 915 and 921 A.D. under the supervision of King Gagik I. Among the important pieces of Armenian architecture, the church draws attraction with its stone workmanship and the relief on its walls.

Earlier this year, Turkey gave permission for an annual religious rite that would take place every year at the church in the second week of September, upon proposal by the Van Governor’s Office and approval by Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertugrul Gunay.

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)—Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived in Armenia Sunday, said the use of fore in the Nagrono-Karabakh conflict was an “unacceptable violation” of the cease-fire, but fell short of singling out Azerbaijan and the side that breached the cease-fire.

“We have expressed our concern to both presidents that return to violence is unacceptable. We regret the incidents of the last several weeks and it is in the interest, first and foremost, for the people of Nagrono-Karabakh, but certainly of Azerbaijan, Armenia and the greater region to work as hard as we can together to come up with an acceptable, lasting settlement of this conflict,” said Clinton during a press conference with her Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbandian.

“The United States strongly condemns the use of force or the threat to use force and we regret the loss of life that results as use of force is used. These are unacceptable violations of the 1994 cease-fire agreement and it is also contrary to the stated commitments by both sides. We have called upon everyone to refrain from use of force or the threat of force, because we, number one, do not want to see the loss of life or injury… We do not want to see further dislocation of individuals and families and we do not want to see the peace process harmed. So, my message is the same to everyone: the United Stated condemns the use or the threat of use of force,” added Clinton at the press conference, which took place after a meeting with President Serzh Sarkisian.

On June 18, a day after a presidential summit on Karabakh in St. Petersburg, Azeri forces opened fire on Karabakh positions in Mardakert, killing four Armenian soldiers.

“We were disappointed to see Secretary Clinton – in Baku and again in Yerevan – repeat the State Department’s generic call on all parties to refrain from the use of force, when it has been Baku alone that has both threatened and acted upon its warnings of renewed war,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “This type of diplomatic language may, at least superficially, appear evenhanded, but, in terms of U.S. interests in regional stability, is actually counter-productive, in that it ignores and even encourages continued Azerbaijani aggression.”

“Inspired by our American Independence Day, we had hoped that Secretary Clinton would issue an open call for a lasting resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict based on the fundamental values of democracy and self-determination. After all, if the founding father were following the State Department’s logic in 1776, the U.S. would still be a British colony,” added Hamparian.

Clinton said the principles for the Karabakh conflict resolution remain unchanged and are based on the Helsinki Act of non-use of force, territorial integrity and people’s right to self-determination. She said during the press conference that the US is ready to help the sides reach a peace agreement.

“It is difficult, but achievable. The OSCE Minsk Group is actively working on it. Besides the recent statement of the Co-Chairmen, both Armenia and Azerbaijan understand that there is no other way. Rather serious negotiations took place between presidents Sarkisian and Aliyev in St. Petersburg, and we hope for a progress,” said Clinton.

“The people of Karabakh have the right to decide their own destiny and develop in their historical territory. It is an inalienable right and due to its implementation many world nations are prosperous today,” he added

Nalbandian said that talks between the Armenian and Azeri Foreign Ministers will be held on July 16 on the sidelines of an informal meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers in Astan

Clinton also called on Turkey to move forward with normalizing ties with Armenia and, on the Karabakh front, urged the sides to honor the cease fire.

“We urge Turkey to take the steps that it promised to take and that both sides continue to try to find the opportunities to open doors to reconciliation and normalization. And now, as they say in sports, the ball is in their court and it is their turn to act,” Clinton said at press conference with her Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbandian during a visit to Yerevan.

She stated that the U.S. was pleased with Sarkiasian’s policy on normalizing relations with Turkey and applauded Yerevan’s April decision not to withdraw its signature from the Armenian-Turkish Protocols despite the obstacles by Turkey.

“Despite the fact that Turkey was and remains unprepared to establish relations with Armenia without preconditions, it is very important for us to hear the position of the US administration on the matter,” said Sarkisian during his meeting with Clinton.

Clinton also pressed Armenia and earlier Azerbaijan to work to resolve the Karabakh conflict and pledged US support in the negotiation process.

Clinton arrived in Yerevan Sunday evening and was greeted at Zvartnots Airport by Nalbandian, who was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosian, US Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch and Armenia’s Ambassador to the US Tatul Markarian.

Before arriving in Armenia, Clinton said in the Azeri capital Baku that reaching a peace deal on Karabakh was a “high priority” and that Washington was ready to help.

“We stand ready to help both Azerbaijan and Armenia to achieve and implement a lasting peace settlement. The final steps toward peace are often the most difficult. But we see peace as a possibility,” she said at a news conference with her Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov.

“We believe there has been progress. This is a high priority for the US,” Clinton said.

Clinton had earlier met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who said he expected the United States “to work closely with us and with others on the resolution” of the conflict.

“This is a major problem for us and the major threat to regional security,” Aliyev said. “We want to find a resolution based on international law and we want to find it as soon as possible. Our people are suffering.”

Aliyev last month threatened to withdraw from foreign-backed peace talks after he accused Armenia of stalling the negotiations.

After meeting with Aliyev, Clinton said she had raised the issue of two jailed bloggers whose case has intensified concerns over media freedom in Azerbaijan.

Clinton said that despite “considerable progress” with regards to freedoms in Azerbaijan, “there are still lots of challenges”.

“President (Barack) Obama and I have both received many letters about the two young bloggers who are in prison. I’ve certainly raised those in my meetings today,” she told a group of youth activists.

The two bloggers, Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, were arrested and jailed on hooliganism charges last year shortly after posting an Internet video of a donkey giving a press conference, lampooning the country’s docile press and statements by government officials.

The charges related to a scuffle in a restaurant but the bloggers and rights groups say the arrests were politically motivated.

The Armenian presidential office on Wednesday announced that President Serzh Sarkisian will make an address to the nation and announce a critical decision on the fate of the Armenia-Turkey protocols.

The Armenian nation is still reeling from last year’s discouraging and unfortunate April 22 announcement by Turkey and Armenia of a “roadmap” toward normalization of relations, which led to the signing, last October, of the dangerous protocols.

Before leaving for Washington on April 12, President Sarkisian hinted that he had formulated a policy on the protocols, adding that he would make an announcement at the appropriate time.

It seems the time has come and the nation should brace itself for another significant turn of events on the eve of the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

However, Sarkisian’s recent assertive posturing on the Genocide issue, as articulated in London’s Chatham House, Der Zor, in an interview with the German Der Spiegel magazine and last week in Washington following a memorial service at the President Woodrow Wilson’s tomb indicates that Yerevan is keen to pursue international recognition of the Genocide and rejects any forum through which the veracity of the Armenian Genocide could be questioned.

In fact, the symbolism of Sarkisian’s statement at Wilson’s tomb also was seen as a signal to US political circles that the efforts of the 28th US president on behalf of Armenia are a viable solution to the Armenian Cause.

In contrast, official Ankara, through Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has continued its vitriolic attacks against the memory of the Genocide victims by firmly denying the facts and threatening the Armenian people.

“If democratic assemblies dare to mention the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in the 20th century, I will personally complete that cleansing in the 21st!” threatened Erdogan on the Turkish-language service of the BBC.

Following his trip to Washington and meetings with President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, Erdogan continued to precondition the ratification of the Turkey-Armenia protocols with the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

“Members of the [Armenian] Security Council discussed the latest developments in the process of normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey,” said the statement issued by the president’s office on Wednesday. “President Sarkisian said that he has held a series of consultations on this issue with the leaders of the parties making up the [governing] political coalition.”

“The president of the republic will address the people on the results of the decision made as a result of the discussions,” it added without elaboration.

We should be cautious as we anticipate the president’s address Thursday. At the same time, the president also should be extremely cautious and NOT repeat his tragic mistake of last year.

Given his recent posturing, he should announce to the nation and to the world that he is withdrawing Armenia’s signature from the protocols, because the Armenian nation cannot—and will not—tolerate another April 22.

Obam,a and Sarkisian during Monday meeting

WASHINGTON (Combined Sources)—President Serzh Sarkisian on Monday met with President Barack Obama and held talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of an international nuclear summit.

Sarkisian also attended an event at the tomb of President Woodrow Wilson, where after laying a wreath, he made remarks at the National Cathedral addressed to community members and Armenian Genocide survivors who had gathered for the event.

“Turkey cannot speak to Armenia and the Armenian people in a language of preconditions,” President Serzh Sarkisian remarked at a gathering at the Woodrow Wilson Monument, moments after his meeting with Erdogan.

He also emphasized that Armenia was not willing to make the fact of the Armenian Genocide a matter of discussion, nor did he believe that Turkey would have a positive role in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau member Dr. Viken Hovsepian, who attended the National Cathedral event called on Sarkisian to rescind his signature from the Armenia-Turkey protocols.

“We heard President Sarkisian’s speech, which primarily honored President Wilson’s memory and his friendship with the Armenian people,” he said during interview with our sister publication, the Armenian Weekly.

“The symbolism of President Wilson goes far beyond the friendship aspect. Wilson is the architect of what became known as ‘Wilsonian Armenia’—an independent Armenia which included Armenian provinces of the Ottoman Empire. We are mindful of the symbolism of President Sarkisian’s visit to Wilson’s tomb and his speech today,” explained Hovsepian.

“The real expression, however, of this symbolism—and its logical continuation—would be President Sarkisian’s rescinding his signature from the Turkey-Armenia protocols,” said Hovsepian.

“President Sarkisian’s remarks — both in timing and in substance — are greatly encouraging,” ARF Central Committee Chairman Antranig Kasbarian told the Armenian Weekly. “The symbolism of honoring Woodrow Wilson — a champion of Genocide survivors and guarantor of Western Armenia — was not lost on those assembled. Nor was the President’s assessment of current political relations, in which he clearly rejected any preconditons by Turkey toward normalizing bilateral ties,” Kasbarian added.

“But the true test will come behind closed doors, when Mr. Sargsyan encounters the inevitable pressure from Washington and Ankara to come to terms,” added Kasbarian. “If he follows the path set out today, then we can reasonably hope that Armenia will retreat from the Protocols and the dangerous course they represent. If not, then we may see Armenia’s predicament go from bad to worse.”

Obama discussed with Sarkisian, prospects for the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations and the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during their first-ever talks held in Washington on Monday, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

A ”read out” issued by the White House statedt: “The President commended President Sarkisian for his courageous efforts to achieve normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey and encouraged him to fulfill the promise of normalization for the benefit of the Armenian people. President Obama also urged that both Armenia and Turkey make every effort to advance the normalization process and achieve legislative ratification of the protocols of normalization. President Obama also expressed his support for Armenian democracy.”

Sarkisian’s office said only that the two leaders spoke about “the course of normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey” and “exchanged thoughts” on the current status of the Karabakh peace process. They also discussed “prospects for the development of bilateral Armenian-American relations,” it said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has been personally involved in the Turkish-Armenian diplomacy, and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian were also present at the talks. The Tert.am news service reported from Washington that Clinton is due to hold a separate meeting with Sarkisian during his visit.

According to RFE/RL, a White House source, who asked not be identified said prior to the meeting that President Obama has expressed hope that through the reconciliation process that began in 2009, Armenia and Turkey would be able to improve relations and address long-time “disagreements.”

Sarkisian and Erdogan met Monday morning. Turkish sources indicated that the brunt of the discussion focused on a letter, which was delivered last week by Erdogan’s envoy.

The NTV news agency, quoting Turkish delegation members, reported that the two leaders agreed that Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers will focus on the ratification process of the protocols.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of Armenia Vigen Sarkisian were joined by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, at the meeting, diplomats said.

No officials announcements were made at the conclusion of the meeting.

During opening remarks at the George Mason University’s new Center for Global Islamic Studies on Monday, Erdogan voiced his anger at the approval, last month, of an Armenian Genocide resolution by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“History does not get written in parliaments and it cannot become a subject of condemnation by a parliament,” said Erdogan.

“We opened our archives and suggested the formation of a historical commission, however we didn’t receive a response. Decisions adopted by parliaments will not benefit Armenia,” said Erdogan.

“President Barack Obama is visibly under intense pressure by the Turkish government to thwart—at all cost—the passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution in Congress. Certainly, these pressures have increased since the vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” explained Hovsepian, who was contacted by Asbarez’s Armenian Section upon receiving the news of Sarkisian’s invitation to Washington.

“Our concern is that by inviting President Sarkisian to Washington, President Obama and his advisers will, for the second time, try to make Armenia’s leadership an accomplice to their efforts against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” warned Hovsepian.

“Let’s not forget the sad developments of last April 22, when the inappropriately timed ‘roadmap’ was announced, which allowed President Obama to justify his failure to use the word ‘Genocide’ in his annual statement,” added Hovsepian.

“By coming to Washington now, President Sarkisian will be taken advantage of the same way as last year. Of course, this trap could become an incredible opportunity for Armenia’s highest leader to directly remind President Obama of his campaign promise and to say that it is high time for him to honor that pledge,” said Hovsepian, adding that if President Sarkisian is not willing to take such a step, then he should postpone his Washington visit to after April.

In discussing H. Res. 252, Hovsepian addressed the unprecedented conjecture and disinformation suggesting that after approval in the House Committee, the resolution will not advance and that the House leadership wants to stifle the resolution at all costs.

“These types of predictions are absurd and untrue, and only serve the shady interests of those who aim to shatter the Armenian community’s momentum,” explained Hovsepian.

“As a nation, we must stop at nothing to see justice prevail in Congress, just like the victory Thursday in Sweden’s parliament. I’d like to mention, that all those who predicted the defeat of the resolution in the [House] Committee were wrong. The same people will also be wrong at this current juncture, because our struggle is just and our strategy is right. Justice will win,” concluded Hovsepian.

The Swedish parliament

STOCKHOLM—The Parliament of Sweden on Thursday, recognized the Armenian Genocide after a long debate with a vote of 131 to 130. This prompted Turkey to recall is ambassador to Sweden, reported Armenian National Committee of Sweden chairwoman Suzanne Khardalian.

“I have been instructed to go back to Turkey,” said Zergun Koruturk, Turkey’s ambassador to Sweden. “It is logical. I am very, very disappointed,” reported the Stockholm News.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also cancelled his planned visit to Sweden.

“We strongly condemn this resolution, which is made for political calculations. It does not correspond to the close friendship of our two nations. We are recalling our ambassador for consultations,” Erdogan said in a statement on his website.

The decision comes just one week after the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to adopt the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252), by a vote of 23-22 – despite last minute opposition from the Obama Administration and over intense lobbying by the Turkish Government.  A similar measure has been introduced in the U.S. Senate, S.Res.316.

“Twice in just one week, we have seen legislative bodies – the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the United States and the full Parliament in Sweden – take a strong stand against Turkey’s threats against an honest affirmation of the Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “We congratulate the Swedish Parliamentarians – particularly those who defied party politics and foreign intimidation – to send a clear message that genocide must be condemned whenever and wherever it occurs.”

The resolution mandates Sweden to officially describe the large-scale murders of Armenians and other ethnic groups in Turkey in the early years of the last century as genocide.

The motion was supported by members of five of the seven Swedish parliamentary parties including the Left Party, whose foreign policy spokesperson Hans Linde told The Local newspaper on Thursday that the time had come for Sweden to take a stand on the issue.

The governing center-right coalition opposed the measure, but it passed because a handful of center-right lawmakers sided with the left-leaning opposition, which had proposed the resolution.

“First, to learn from history and stop it from repeating and second, to encourage the development of democracy in Turkey, which includes dealing with its own history. The third reason is to redress the wrongs committed against the victims and their relatives,” added Linde.

The committee in its comments on the motion argued for an open debate on the issue. It also stated that the persecution of the Armenians and other ethnic groups in 1915 would have constituted genocide according to the definition adopted by the United Nations in its 1948 genocide convention if it “had it been in force at the time.”

The resolution adopted today (by 131 for, 130 against) has previously been refused by the Swedish Parliament. The change can be attributed to a change of policy by the Social Democrats, who at their last party Congress, October 30, 2009, adopted a policy of recognizing the genocide carried out against the Armenians, Assyrian/Chaldeans, Pontic Greeks and Roma and others during 1914-1918 in the then Ottoman Empire. The Swedish Christian Social Democrats, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Social Democrat party members of Assyrian origin played important roles in obtaining this policy change.

Turkish Ruling party leader Suat Kiniklioglu

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Turkey is extremely unlikely to ratify its fence-mending protocols with Armenia at this juncture, a senior Turkish lawmaker and deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said on Thursday.

In an interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian service in Yerevan, Suat Kiniklioglu made clear that Ankara continues to make the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations conditional on a Karabakh settlement. He said the passage of an Armenian genocide resolution by a U.S. congressional committee has rendered Turkish ratification of the protocols even “more difficult.”

“[Ratification] is very difficult right now,” Kiniklioglu said, speaking on the sidelines of an international seminar organized in the Armenian capital by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. “It’s almost impossible. Especially after [the progress of the House Resolution] 252, it’s almost impossible.”

Turkey has strongly condemned the draft resolution approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on March 4. It calls on President Barack Obama to “accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide.”

Kiniklioglu headed one of the two Turkish parliamentary delegations that traveled to Washington last week to lobby against the bill’s passage. They were present at the committee debate and vote on the measure along with fellow parliamentarians from Armenia.

“Neither the Turkish parliament nor any other parliament should be judging on other peoples’ history,” Kiniklioglu told RFE/RL. “We continue to propose the history commission that was part of the protocols, and I think that’s the best way to go about. Turkish-Armenian relations do not need the American Congress to be approved or to be condoned. I think Turks and Armenians are mature enough to resolve their problems on a bilateral level.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has publicly warned Washington against exploiting the genocide bill to pressure Ankara to validate the U.S.-brokered agreements envisaging diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey and the opening of their border. U.S. officials have repeatedly called for a speedy and unconditional ratification of the protocols.

Kiniklioglu indicated that the Turkish government, which has a clear majority in parliament, persists in linking the ratification with an Armenian-Azerbaijani agreement on Karabakh. “In our view, there is a connection [with Karabakh,]” he said. “You can not normalize [relations] with a country when there is an abnormal situation going on right next door to you.”

“All sides, especially the American side, the Minsk Group, are working on the Karabakh issue,” said the lawmaker. “I hope something positive will come out of it because as soon as something positive comes out, I think we will push the protocols through the parliament.”

Meeting with Davutoglu in Kiev late last month, President Serzh Sarkisian threatened to walk away from the deal if the Turks fail to honor it “within the shortest period of time.” U.S. and European Union officials have likewise said it should be ratified within a “reasonable” timeframe.

“I think eventually it will happen, but we should not put artificial deadlines on the process and should continue in a determined fashion towards finalizing the reconciliation process,” countered Kiniklioglu.

“I am on the optimistic side,” he said. “One year ago or two years ago, there were no protocols whatsoever. Right now we have two documents that outline in detail how the normalization should take place. I think it’s still a success.”

“True, they are still awaiting ratification by the Turkish and Armenian parliaments,” added the AKP vice-chairman for foreign relations. “But I think if we show enough patience — and hopefully there will be some movement on Karabakh, we don’t know — I’m confident that normalization will eventually take place.”

Kiniklioglu went on to describe the Armenians and the Turks as “very similar people” who can put an end to their long history of mutual hostility. “This is my fourth visit to Armenia,” he said. “I have lots of friends here and I see more and more commonalities and similarities between us.”

PARIS (RFE/RL)—President Serzh Sarkisian has suggested that Turkey will not unconditionally normalize relations with Armenia anytime soon and again threatened to annul the universally welcomed agreements signed by the two nations last October.

In an interview with the French daily “Le Figaro” published on Thursday, Sarkisian also warned that Ankara’s reluctance to ratify them is swelling the ranks of Armenians opposed to his conciliatory policy on Turkey.

“Our desire to establish normal relations is great,” he said. “However, recent statements from Turkey make me think that they will not ratify the protocols in the foreseeable future.

“We had warned that if we become convinced that the Turks are using the normalization process for other purposes we will take appropriate steps. In that case, we will withdraw our signature from the protocols.”

According to Sarkisian, the two governments agreed to put the protocols into practice “within a reasonable time frame and without preconditions” when they inked the deal in Zurich in October 2009. “We have said that Armenia would ratify the protocols immediately after their ratification by Turkey,” he said. “And yet Turkey keeps putting forward preconditions for their ratification, the most important of them relating to Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Sarkisian again avoided setting any deadlines for the Turkish ratification. Officials from his administration implied earlier that the Turkish leadership has until the end of March to endorse the agreements or face their unilateral repeal by Armenia. However, the latest indications are that Yerevan is ready to wait at least until the April 24.

Sarkisian told “Le Figaro” that his Turkish policy has caused “a great deal of concern among Armenians around the world.” “As a result of the dragging out of the normalization process, the number of [Armenian] supporters of the protocols is increasingly dwindling,” he warned.

The Armenian leader also reaffirmed Yerevan’s strong support for the passage of a U.S. congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian massacres as genocide. “But the U.S. Congress and State Department hardly make decisions based on our views or wishes,” he added.

On a related matter, in what was his second visit abroad in less than two months, former President Robert Kocharian met with his former French counterpart Jacques Chirac in Paris on Wednesday, his office confirmed the next day.

A spokesman for Kocharian, Victor Soghomonian, declined to divulge any details of the meeting. He told RFE/RL only that the ex-president is paying a “private visit” to France and will return to Armenia “in the coming days.”

The trip coincided with Sarkisian’s official visit to Paris.

Kocharian, who has kept a low profile since handing over power to Sarkisian in April 2008, already visited Tehran in late January for talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Both his office and the Armenian Foreign Ministry insisted that the ex-president met them in his private capacity.

Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov

BAKU (News.az)—Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov challenged Armenia on Thursday, days after his country signaled that it is generally in support of the most recent iteration of the Madrid Principles, based on which the Karabakh peace process is being negotiated.

“Azerbaijan has already announced that it accepts the updated Madrid principles. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will invite the foreign ministers to Paris to discuss the updated guidelines. Then we will define the direction of our future efforts with the co-chairs,” said Mammadyarov, who was speaking Thursday at a meeting of deputy foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states in Baku.

“We believe that the updated version of the Madrid principles creates an opportunity for the discussion of a comprehensive agreement. In my opinion, first of all, it should be accepted by the Armenian side. But the Armenian side claims that there are some points that they cannot accept. We are now working on that,” he said, without elaborating on the matters in question.

“The only question to the leadership of Armenia is whether they are ready or not,” challenged Mammadyarov.

“As far as I know, during the meeting of presidents [Serzh] Sarkisian and [Nicolas] Sarkozy, the French president reiterated his full support for the updated Madrid principles. Let’s see what news comes from the Armenian side,” added Mammadyarov.

He said that no meeting was scheduled for the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents at present.

Mammadyarov also found time to address last week’s vote in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which approved the Armenian Genocide resolution.
 “If members of Congress discuss the events of 100 years ago, they should also assess the recent genocide of 20 years ago that happened in Khojaly. In this sense, I do not believe that such an action would promote peace and stability in the South Caucasus,” expressed Mammadyarov.

“On the whole, the action has a negative impact because we believe that if the Congress adopts one-sided resolutions, despite the fact that Armenia occupies 20 percent of Azeri land resulting in one million refugees and internally displaced persons, this poses the greatest threat to security in the region. Therefore, we consider that the issue of peace and stability in the South Caucasus, if discussed in Congress, should address not only the historical aspect, but also the current situation,” he added.

Sweden's parliament building

STOCKHOLM—The Parliament of Sweden on Thursday, recognized the Armenian Genocide after a long debate with a vote of 131 to 130.

The resolution mandates Sweden to officially describe the large-scale murders of Armenians and other ethnic groups in Turkey in the early years of the last century as genocide.

The motion was supported by members of five of the seven Swedish parliamentary parties including the Left Party, whose foreign policy spokesperson Hans Linde told The Local newspaper on Thursday that the time had come for Sweden to take a stand on the issue.

“First, to learn from history and stop it from repeating and second, to encourage the development of democracy in Turkey, which includes dealing with its own history. The third reason is to redress the wrongs committed against the victims and their relatives,” added Linde.

The committee in its comments on the motion argued for an open debate on the issue. It also stated that the persecution of the Armenians and other ethnic groups in 1915 would have constituted genocide according to the definition adopted by the United Nations in its 1948 genocide convention if it “had it been in force at the time.”

The Swedish parliament voted on the issue before, even approving a report in 2000 recognizing the disappearance of as many as 2.5 million Armenians, Chaldeans, Syrians, Assyrians and Pontian Greeks beginning on April 1915 as genocide. But the recognition was later withdrawn “on a technicality,” explained Linde.

Asbarez will provide more in-depth coverage of this issue.

New York–On March 7, over 300 Armenian Americans gathered at the New York Hilton to discuss “Armeno-Turkish Relations: Pitfalls and Possibilities,” at a public forum organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation New York and New Jersey committees.  The event featured insights by a diverse panel of speakers including former US Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans; Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America, Ken Hachikian; Chairman of Armenian Education Foundation in Modern Armenian History, Dr. Richard Hovannisian; and, Emeritus Professor of History at University of Michigan, Dr. Dennis Papazian.

“We appreciate the views and analysis of each of our panelists, as we explore the serious implications of the Turkey-Armenia Protocols for the Armenian nation,” stated ARF New York’s Raffi Mahserdjian, who opened the forum.  “We look forward to hosting similar events in the future to tackle fundamental issues facing our community in the New York-New Jersey area and around the world.”

Prior to the presentations, community leaders were invited to a reception hosted by Mrs. Virginia Davies in honor of the panelists.  The event was made possible by donation from Ms. Sue Aramian. ARF New Jersey’s Ani Tchaghlasian served as Mistress of Ceremonies, moderating the program which focused on the ramifications of the Turkey-Armenia protocols, signed last October amidst great controversy and marred by Turkish Government preconditions designed to secure Armenian concessions in the Nagorno Karabagh peace process and derail international Armenian Genocide affirmation efforts.  Panelists also discussed Armenian-American efforts to affect policy in the United States as well analyses of the power dynamics at play in the Caucasus region.

Amb. Evans addressed issues in the Protocols themselves and the steps taken throughout the process.  He commended the Armenian Government impulse to engage in the process, arguing that establishing diplomatic relations with a neighboring state and seeking an open border is normal. He noted, however, that the preconditions set by the Turkish Government had been clear from the very beginning. One of the major flaws that Amb. Evans pointed out is that the Protocols are supposed to be based on international principles yet the document completely omits the words “self-determination” while including “territorial integrity.” Additionally, Amb. Evans cited the troublesome lack of transparency and proper public education in the effort.

Hachikian spoke to the uneven balance of power between Turkey and Armenia – economically, militarily, and geographically and how Turkey has used this reality to punish Armenia, citing the illegal blockade as just one example.  Hachikian stated, “What we have here, I would argue, is an abuser-abused relationship that is ultimately based upon threats and a bed of lies”.  Hachikian also spoke to the heightened Obama Administration opposition to the Armenian Genocide Resolution following passage by the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week. “This position is morally and practically equivalent to the US being explicitly complicit in Turkey’s genocide denial posture,” argued Hachikian.

Dr. Hovannisian spoke to the preconditions that are implicitly referenced in the Protocols. “Even though the words Armenian Genocide or Treaty of Kars are not mentioned, we know they clearly run through every aspect of the document.” He also argued that the Diaspora should have been more involved with the process since it addresses Armenian-Turkish reconciliation – an issue pertinent to Armenians worldwide.

Dr. Papazian spoke to the power dynamics that exist in the Caucasus region, explaining that it is not just Armenia-Turkey relations that must be considered, but also the roles of Russia, Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan, as well the interests of Europe and the United States.  Papazian argued that to be effective we must be able to understand all the geo-politics involved. In regards to the Protocols, he noted that despite the imperfect nature of the agreement, Turkey should not be allowed to secure a public relations victory for supporting the effort.

A lively question-and-answer session followed the presentations.

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–A group of Armenian parliamentarians met with the chairman of a U.S. congressional committee the day after it approved a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide, it emerged on Tuesday.

Koryun Nahapetian, one of the four lawmakers that traveled to Washington last week, said they discussed with Howard Berman, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, further progress of the resolution and, in particular, chances of its inclusion on the full House agenda.

“Berman could not give a clear answer because it is obvious that right now the answer to that question remains uncertain,” Nahapetian told a news conference in Yerevan. “But we hope that the next step will be taken before the current House of Representatives completes term in office.”

Artak Zakarian, another member of the Armenian parliamentary delegation representing the ruling Republican Party, was cautious on that score. He acknowledged that “as was the case before” the measure, strongly condemned by Turkey, may well not reach the House floor in the months to come.

Echoing statements by other senior Republican Party figures, Zakarian suggested that Washington will use the resolution to press the Turks to ratify the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements with Armenia. “Whether the full House will discuss the matter depends on Turkey’s further actions,” he said.

Responding to an uproar from Turkey, the administration of President Barack Obama has urged Congress to drop the matter now. “The Obama administration strongly opposes the resolution that was passed by only one vote in the House committee and will work very hard to make sure it does not go to the House floor,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said over the weekend.

The Armenian delegation met U.S. lawmakers and attended Thursday’s House committee debate on the genocide bill to underline Yerevan’s support for its passage. “Our presence really influenced members of the U.S. House of Representatives,” claimed Nahapetian. “They became convinced that Armenia and all Armenians around the world have a common position on the recognition of the Armenian genocide.”

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation blamed on Friday Armenia’s controversial agreements with Turkey for the difficulty with which pro-Armenian lawmakers pushed their latest genocide resolution through a U.S. congressional committee.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the non-binding measures by 23 votes to 22. The outcome of the vote, which lasted for over 90 minutes, hang in the balance until the last minute. The panel passed similar resolutions, most recently in 2007, by much wider margins in the past.

Committee members opposed to the resolution argued, among other things, that the fence-mending Turkish-Armenian protocols call for the formation of a joint “subcommission” that would study the 1915 mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. They also said calling the massacres a genocide could scuttle Turkish parliamentary ratification of the protocols.

Armen Rustamian, the chairman of the ARF’s supreme body in Armenia, said this is the reason why several U.S. congressmen declined to vote for the genocide bill this time around.

“I think all those who followed the committee debate understood and saw very well just how these protocols can put the brakes on the process of international recognition of the Armenian genocide,” Rustamian told a news conference. “When we had been saying that for months, many thought that this is just a partisan view.”

Giro Manoyan, the party’s political director, agreed, saying that the protocols have given opponents of U.S. recognition of the genocide a new argument.

The ARF has been highly critical of President Serzh Sarkisian’s policy of rapprochement with Turkey that culminated in the signing of the protocols last October. Their leaders have repeatedly said that Ankara will exploit the would-be historical “subcommission” to deter the United States and other nations from recognizing the genocide.

Sarkisian and his political allies insist, however that the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement will not slow the recognition process.

WASHINGTON (ArmRadio)–The Obama administration believes the passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution on Thursday was inappropriate, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, reported ArmRadio, citing Turkish sources.

“We have made that clear to all parties involved,” she said, while responding to a question about the resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.

A journalist asked: “Before entering the administration, both you and President Obama supported the campaign to label 1915 incidents as ‘genocide.’ In recent days, both you and he have made direct appeals to Howard Berman, the chairman of the House’s Foreign Affairs Committee, against the draft resolution. Could you explain why you and the president have reversed course on this issue?”

Clinton responded: “Well, I think circumstances have changed in very significant ways. When President Obama took office and I became secretary of state, we determined that the process undertaken by Switzerland in bringing the Turkish and Armenian governments together was a very worthy one that we intended to support, and we have done so. I was personally in Zurich at the time when the protocols for the normalization of the relationship between the two countries were signed. We think that is the appropriate way to manage the problems that have stood in the way of normalization between the two countries.”

“I do not think it is for any other country to determine how two countries resolve matters between them, to the extent that actions that the United States might take could disrupt this process,” she said.

“Therefore, President Obama and I have made clear, both last year and again this year, that we do not believe any action by the Congress is appropriate, and we oppose it. We do not believe that the full Congress will or should act upon that resolution, and we have made that clear to all the parties involved,” the Hurriyet Daily News cited Clinton as saying.

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Official Yerevan dismissed on Tuesday Turkish warnings that a U.S. congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide would set back the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.

It also emerged that a group of Armenian parliamentarians is heading to Washington in an apparent effort to facilitate the passage of the resolution introduced by U.S. legislators a year ago.

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to discuss and vote on the proposed legislation on Thursday. It urges President Barack Obama to “accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide.”

The Turkish Foreign Ministry warned on Monday that its approval by the House committee would harm not only harm U.S.-Turkish relations but also efforts by Turkey and Armenia to normalize bilateral ties. “We would like to believe that the members of the committee are aware of the damage… the endorsement of the resolution will bring
and, in this context, act responsibly,” the ministry said in a statement.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly issued a similar warning over the weekend. He said passage of the genocide resolution would bring the U.S.-backed Turkish-Armenian normalization process to a halt.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian brushed aside the warning, saying that the biggest threat to that process emanates from Ankara’s “preconditions” for the implementation of the Turkish-Armenian normalization agreements that were set months before the House panel scheduled a debate on the resolution.

“It is statements made in Turkey and the return to the language of preconditions that deal a blow to the process of normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations,” Nalbandian told a news conference. “We hope that Turkey will rid itself of artificial complexes created by the Turkish side and that we will be able to move forward in accordance with our understandings.”

Nalbandian stopped short of explicitly urging U.S. lawmakers to recognize what many historians consider the first genocide of the 20th century. But in a sign of Yerevan’s tacit support for the resolution, four members of Armenia’s parliament will fly to Washington on Wednesday at the invitation of Frank Pallone and Mark Kirk, the two U.S. lawmakers co-chairing the congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. The bipartisan group, currently numbering 150 House members, has long been pushing for Armenian genocide recognition.

A source in the National Assembly told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that Pallone and Kirk asked their Armenian colleagues to “present their views on and approaches to issues of mutual interest” to U.S. legislators and foreign policy-makers. The genocide resolution will be the main focus of their meetings in Washington, said the source.

A similar delegation of Turkish parliamentarians is already in Washington, meeting with U.S. officials and lobbying against the resolution. “My impression is that the (Obama) administration is not fighting against it very effectively,” one of them, Sukru Elekdag, said on Monday, according to Reuters.

Obama has so far declined to openly endorse or, as past U.S. administrations did, oppose the measure. The Associated Press cited aides to senior Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee as saying last week there has been no pressure against the resolution from the White House yet. According to a spokesman for committee chairman, Howard Berman, the Obama administration was informed about Thursday’s vote ahead of time.

Obama repeatedly pledged to recognize the Armenian genocide when he ran for president, earning the overwhelming backing of the Armenian Americans. However, he has refrained from using the word “genocide” since taking office, implicitly citing the need not to undermine the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement.

“His view of that history has not changed,” US National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said last week. “Our interest remains the achievement of a full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts.”

“The best way to advance that goal is for the Armenian and Turkish people to address the facts of the past as a part of their ongoing efforts to normalize relations,” said Hammer. “We will continue to support these efforts vigorously in the months ahead.”
Some observers have speculated that Washington is using the prospect of U.S. recognition of the genocide to try to get the Turks to ratify the two Turkish-Armenian protocols signed in October. The Turkish ambassador to the United States, Namik Tan, seemed to give weight to this view on Saturday.

“The greatest lobbyist in Washington is the administration,” Tan said, according to the Associated Press. “We have not seen them around enough on this.”

Turkish Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission head Murat Mercan said that passing the resolution would be seen by the Turkish public as “inappropriate pressure on Turkey,” warning that “there will be an overwhelming public reaction and outcry [over the ‘genocide’ bill].”

Sukru Elekdag, former Turkish ambassador to the United States and an opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) member said the Armenian issue should not be allowed to have a detrimental effect on U.S.-Turkish relations.

Mithat Melen, Istanbul deputy from the National Movement Party (MHP) also said the passage of the resolution would not only be detrimental to the U.S.-Turkey and Turkey-Armenia relationships, but warned that it would be very bad news for about 50,000 Armenian migrant workers, whom he said live in Istanbul.

Meanwhile, Turkish Parliament U.S. Caucus head Suat Kinikioglu, who led the second Turkish group, also threatened a possible chill in U.S.-Turkish ties and said the partnership between the two countries “should not be marred by events of almost 100 years ago.” He also said the passage of the resolution might “radicalize” an already sensitive debate within Turkey about the future of Turkish-Armenian relations.

“If the resolution passes the House Foreign Affairs Committee, this mutually beneficial cooperation [between Turkey and the US] will be put into immediate jeopardy. That outcome is good for neither Turkey nor the United States,” Mercan warned.

He said the group has not talked to any officials from the U.S. administration yet, and said the place they like to be more involved is with the U.S. Congress, where the vote will be taken. Mercan, did say, however, that the U.S. administration’s role is always important and they still expect the U.S. administration to take a greater role to stop the resolution.

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–President Serzh Sarkisian made late on Thursday his most explicit threat yet to annul Armenia’s normalization agreements with Turkey in what appeared to be a tense conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

The two men spoke in Kiev on the sidelines of the swearing-in of Ukraine’s newly elected president, Viktor Yanukovich. Davutoglu told Turkish journalists there that the “meeting” centered on Turkish-Armenian relations and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“We reviewed the Turkish -Armenian normalization relationship in its entirety with open hearts today, including our anxieties and the obstacles we face,” Davutoglu said, according to “Hurriyet Daily News.” “We spoke about Armenian- Azerbaijan relations and the activities of the Minsk Group as related to the Karabakh issue.”

Sarkisian’s press office clarified that the two held on talks as such, saying that Davutoglu “approached and exchanged views” with the Armenian president during a reception hosted by Yanukovich. It said Sarkisian told him that the ratification of the Turkish-Armenian “protocols” must be completed “within the shortest possible time.”

“Or else, as was stated before, the Republic of Armenia will withdraw its signatures from the protocols,” the office said in a statement circulated on Friday.

Sarkisian first publicly warned of such possibility in early December. He instructed the Armenian government to draft legal amendments regulating Yerevan’s possible pullout from international treaties. The Armenian parliament adopted them in the final reading on Thursday.

Sarkisian was quoted by his office as also telling Davutoglu that Turkey could open its border with Armenia before ratifying the protocols. “A country dreaming about a region without borders should take the first step and end Armenia’s blockade,” he said, scoffing at Ankara’s stated efforts to promote peace and stability in the South Caucasus.

“If Azerbaijani pressure does not allow Turkey’s parliament to ratify the protocols, then nothing keeps Turkey’s executive authority from opening, even before the protocol ratification, the border between the two states which it itself had closed,” he added.

Sarkisian also ruled out any Turkish involvement in the Karabakh peace process. He pointed to Turkey’s “unilateral military assistance” to Azerbaijan and “biased statements” on Karabakh made by Turkish leaders.

In a related development, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reaffirmed on Thursday Washington’s support for the quick and unconditional ratification of the protocols. “We are working very hard to assist Armenia and Turkey in their efforts and we would like to continue to support that effort and not be diverted in any way at all,” Clinton told U.S. lawmakers.

“The normalization process, which carries important benefits for both sides, should take place without preconditions and within an obvious, reasonable timeframe,” she said.

Suat Kiniklioglu, the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) vice president for foreign relations

ANKARA (Hurriyet)–Two groups of Turkish parliamentarians will visit Washington, D.C., to lobby against a House Resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide to be voted on by the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs on March 4.

Members of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and the Turkey-U.S. Parliamentary Friendship Group are expected to lobby in the U.S. capital starting March 1.

Suat Kiniklioglu, the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) vice president for foreign relations, described the upcoming vote as “a misfortune” showing “lack of foresight” while the normalization processes between Turkey and Armenia is still underway.

“The Armenian Diaspora in the U.S. attempted [to pass this bill] in 2007, but failed. The bill was passed through the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, but failed to pass in Congress,” Kiniklioglu told reporters. “We are planning to prevent the bill’s ratification by the committee. In case of failure, we will attempt [to lobby] Congress to not vote for this bill.”

The AKP official called the timing of the vote “absurd and inappropriate” in regard to existing Turkey-U.S. relations. “We hope our efforts will prevent this risky attempt, which may damage bilateral relations,” he said. “We act in unity as government, opposition and NGOs in the U.S.”

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

In response to a question from Arkansas Republican John Boozman, whose incomplete sentences and hesitant demeanor clearly indicated that he was prompted to address the issue during the hearing, Clinton reiterated the Obama administration’s interest in “a full, frank and just acknowledgements of the facts.”

“On Turkey-Armenia relations it is our position that the normalization process that Turkey and Armenia have undertaken carries important benefits for both sides and it should take place without preconditions and within a reasonable time frame. Last year in his Armenia remembrance day statement, President Obama made clear that our interest remains a full frank and just acknowledgement of facts related to the historical events, but the best way to do that, with all respect, is for the Armenian and Turkish people themselves to address the facts of their past as part of their efforts to move forward. In that spirit we are working very hard to assist Armenia and Turkey in their efforts and we would like to continue to support that effort and not be diverted in any way at all,” said Clinton at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which is set to vote on the bill next week.

Later on Thursday, Clinton also addressed the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, where Armenian Caucus Co-chairman Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) thanked Clinton for her past support of the resolution as a Senator and expressed hope that the State Department would support the resolution.

In response, Clinton reiterated the US support for diplomatic efforts between Turkey and Armenia.

Clinton did not reference a question by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the author of the the resolution, when he expressed hope that the State Department would not oppose the resolution and would support it, and instead responded to a second question by Schiff on another matter.

“Secretary Clinton’s remarks represent the third time in just the past few weeks that a senior Obama Administration official – in response to pointed questions about the Armenian Genocide Resolution – has chosen not to voice any opposition to the adoption of this genocide-prevention measure,” said Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

“The current Administration’s conduct, at least to date, stands in stark contrast to past Administrations – both Democratic and Republican – that used every opportunity to score points with Ankara by attacking the broad, bipartisan Congressional majority that has long existed in support of U.S. condemnation and commemoration of this crime against humanity,” he added.

At the House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting, Clinton also discussed the ongoing US support for the Armenia-Turkey protocols and expressed the administration’s unwavering commitment to the process when responding to a question from New York Democrat Michael McMahon, who asked Clinton whether the State Department could appoint a point person to ensure the ratification of the documents by both parliaments.

“We are very committed to work with both Armenia and Turkey, and I have personally been involved in this. I was deeply involved in the negotiation in Zurich some months ago that led to the signing of the protocols. I’m on the phone probably more with the leadership in Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan than any other part of the world on a regular basis. We are very committed to doing everything we can, both in furthering the protocols for normalization between Armenia and Turkey and working for a durable diplomatic solution for the conflict over in Nagorno-Karabakh. That is not a precondition for the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia but it is essential for the long-term regional stability in the Caucasus. So, we have a whole team committed to that and we are working as hard as we can,” explained Clinton.

On a related issue, California Democrat Brad Sherman asked Clinton about funding for Armenia, with the expectation that the secretary would respond in writing to his inquiry.

“I’m glad you’re providing more aid to Armenia, but I think Congress should enhance that. Thank you for having parity on military financing, but you do not have parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan and as to international military training and there should be a specific aid request for Nagorno-Karabakh,” said Sherman.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Davutoglu said the one-on-one with Sarkisian gave him an opportunity to talk about the normalization process and other developments in the South Caucasus.

“We reviewed the Turkish -Armenian normalization relationship in its entirety with open hearts today including our anxieties and the obstacles we face,” Davutoglu said. “We spoke about Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and the activities of the Minsk Group as related to the Karabakh issue.”

“I also had the opportunity to tell Mr. Sarkisian about Turkey’s vision for the region,” he said.

The meeting comes as international pressure mounts on Turkey to ratify agreements signed between the two countries last October. Ankara has thus far held off on submitting the documents to parliament, demanding instead that Armenia must first agree to a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict favoring Azerbaijan.

President Sarkisian, for his part, submitted the protocols to the Armenian parliament last week but said the legislature would not ratify the documents before Turkey.

The Armenian parliament meanwhile passed legal amendments Thursday that would allow Sarkisian to suspend ratification and withdraw from previously signed international agreements. The amendments were passed by a vote of 70-4. The move comes amid growing frustration in Armenia over Turkey’s efforts to leverage the protocols in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

President Serzh Sarkisian (R) meets with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon in Kiev on February

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–A top U.S. diplomat was reported to praise Armenia’s position in the stalled normalization process with Turkey at a meeting with President Serzh Sarkisian on Thursday.

Sarkisian and Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon met in the Ukrainian capital Kiev after attending the inauguration of Ukraine’s newly elected president, Viktor Yanukovich.

A statement by Sarkisian’s office said the talks focused on the U.S.-backed efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey. It said the Armenian leader reaffirmed Yerevan’s commitment to an unconditional implementation of the agreements to that effect which were signed by the two governments in October.

The statement quoted Gordon as describing this position as “constructive” and saying that the Armenian and Turkish parliaments should ratify the two protocols “without linking them to other existing problems.”

It was a clear reference to Turkish leaders’ statements making Turkish ratification conditional on a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would satisfy Azerbaijan. The Armenian government says this “precondition” contradicts the essence of the protocols, which make no reference to the Karabakh conflict.

Ankara also attributes its reluctance to ratify the protocols to the Armenian Constitutional Court’s recent interpretation of the protocols’ implications which it says ran counter to the letter and spirit of the deal. Gordon, who coordinates U.S. policy on Europe and the former Soviet Union, dismissed the Turkish claims last month.

U.S. officials have yet to publicly comment on Yerevan’s threats to wake away from the agreements if the Turks continue to drag their feet. Acting on those threats, the Armenian parliament passed on Thursday, in the second and final reading, legal amendments that facilitate such a move.

Adding a new twist to the normalization process is a decision by a U.S. congressional committee to discuss and vote on March 4 on a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. A Turkish parliamentary delegation is expected to visit Washington this week to lobby U.S. lawmakers to block it.

The U.S. State Department opposed similar resolutions drafted by pro-Armenian legislators in the past, citing Turkey’s geopolitical significance for the United States. Department officials have so far pointedly refrained from criticizing the latest genocide bill. Some observers believe Washington will use it to press Ankara to ratify the protocols.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu clearly alluded to such possibility when he condemned the bill earlier this month. He said the prospect of U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide will not force his government to soften its stance on protocol ratification.

Davutoglu insisted this week that the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement has not reached an impasse. “Negotiations and the process are going on,” he said, according to the Regnum news agency.

Below is the translated text of the announcement by the Central Executive of the Social Democratic Hunchakian Party, the Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Central Executive of the Armenian Democratic League (the Ramkavar-Azadagan party):

Announcement

April 24, 2010 marks the 95th anniversary of the Armenia Genocide.

The crime perpetrated against the Armenian people and humankind by Turkey continues to have its ramifications. Justice has not yet persevered.

For 95 years, the Armenian people, which have been deprived of their homeland and been subjected to Genocide in their own historic country, has been pursuing justice. On the long road of this struggle, our people have been able to transform into an organized force by staying true to national ideals, the homeland, its language and culture. The opening of every school, church or center in an Armenian community became a step toward our aspirations.

In the last decades, the Diaspora was able to come together around the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, reparations for losses and the ideal of a homeland, and garnering many successes.

For the Armenians living in Armenia, the years of Soviet domination also became a time for recognizing the importance of returning to the homeland, self-determination and generational rights. For the Armenians in Armenia this conviction was grounded in a road to victory paved after Armenia’s declaration of independence.

After efforts to recognize the Armenian Genocide, which began in 1965, came the Karabakh liberation movement, which, once and for all, proved the unwavering strength of a unified Armenia and the imperative of the Armenian Cause. The independent Republic of Armenia was created as a result of a victorious liberation war and the appreciation of our pan-national capabilities. The unprecedented victories of our nation are a result of the collective efforts of the Armenian state and the Armenian Diaspora.

Today, once again, our people are confronted with huge challenges. The developments in the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations and a quick resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are unprecedented. Once again, efforts are underway to satisfy foreign interests at the expense of our people’s unwavering aspirations and the rights of future generations. Fortunately, the Armenian people understand the veiled and apparent threats that are inherent in the protocols signed by Armenia and Turkey. The freedom and independence won with the blood of the heroic people of Artsakh is still being threatened. At the same time, the Armenians of Javakhk are denied basic human rights.

We, the three pan-Armenian political parties, are convinced that only through collective efforts, and calculated and decisive actions, can we shape world opinion to take into consideration Armenian national interests and respect for our rights. We are convinced that only through collective efforts and everyday actions can we resolve our pan-national issues—rights of the Armenians in Javakhk, independence of Artsakh, the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the strengthening of the Republic of Armenia. The true inclusion of the Diaspora in Armenia’s state and political life can become a critical conduit in fortifying our national unity.

This year is the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. We are soon approaching the centennial of one of humanities biggest tragedies. The struggle for international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the pursuit of reparations not only has ramifications for civilized human values but also for the security of the independent Armenian homeland. The fact that the crime was unpunished is what allowed for future repetitions of such crimes.

We are decisive and are confident that our just struggle is in the stages of final victory. We call on the government of Armenia, all political forces, all Diaspora organizations and all entities that are concerned about the future of our people to come together and rally around our pan-national concerns, to presented a strong united front for the entire world, to take concrete steps for resolving the issues facing Armenia, the Diaspora and the Armenian nation, to express our collective political will, on the road to establishing our distinct and dignified place in the world.

At this important crossroads in the Armenian reality, we condemn all efforts that serve to diminish the will of the Armenian nation.

Today, many governments already have recognized the Armenian Genocide. There is no other alternative. Only through the cooperation of all facets of the Armenian nation and the strengthening of our independent state will we achieve the world’s—and even Turkey’s—recognition of our just cause.

This is the guarantee for a complete and secure future for the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian nation.

Social Democratic Hunchakian Party Central Executive
Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau
Armenian Democratic League (the Ramkavar-Azadagan Central Executive

Asbarez reported last week that US Ambassador James Jeffrey told the Turkish parliament that if Turkey did not ratify the protocols, the Congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide could be approved.

Below is a transcript of the Jeffrey’s interview with Sabah correspondent Nur Batur:

Nur Batur: The protocol signed with Armenia has been one of the most important pillars of the “zero problems with neighbors” policy. Is the protocol dead now?

Ambassador James Jeffrey: No. The Armenian Constitutional Court has given the green light for the implementation of the protocol. [Turkey’s] Foreign Minister [Ahmet] Davutoglu is in contact with [Armenia’] Foreign Minister [Eduard] Nalbandian. We are working with the Turks almost every day. We are trying to make progress with regard to Karabakh. Actually, these two are separate processes. But, Turkey considers them the same. Conflicts in the Caucasus must definitely be settled. These issues may keep different paces but all of them are important. These are parallel processes. US Ambassador in the Minsk Group was in Ankara last week. Nothing is dead.

However, Foreign Minister Davutoglu found the decision to be in contradiction with the spirit of the protocol. He wants an assurance that would protect the spirit of the protocol. Some expressions in the decision caused discomfort for Turks but we think that the decision is a positive one. It opens the way for passing the protocol at the Parliament. I know, for instance, that when a constitution court reviews a decision, some paragraphs can be found to be in violation of the Constitution in some states. This is not the case with the Armenian court decision. We believe that both sides are serious about their commitment to the protocol.

N.B: Nonetheless, the Constitution says that “the genocide is undeniable”. The court has made references to paragraph 11. They do not recognize the agreement that defines borders.

J.J.: Paragraph 11 does not contain the term “border.” The decision says that “Armenian Government shall not interpret the protocol in a way in contradiction with the genocide that occurred in ‘Ottoman Turkey and the Western Armenia.’ We had jurists review the decision. The protocol contains a clear commitment that the existing borders shall be mutually recognized in accordance with Kars agreement and others. There is not a covert reference to the events defined as “genocide” that took place somewhere in West Armenia, whereabouts of which are not really clear at all. We do not think there is a legal obstacle that would put the recognition of borders at risk. At any rate, the protocol does not touch on the genocide issue in any way. It only mentions a committee of historians that could be set up to investigate the 1915 events. That is, it does not introduce a limitation to the positions. Turks would not have signed the protocol if it had meant a change in borders.

N.B.: What happens if borders are opened and Armenians say that the genocide is indisputable?

J.J.: These are all intertwined steps in the protocol. Steps are being taken, including the establishment of a committee. These are linked to each other. Davutoglu underlined the spirit of the protocol. I understand that. Whenever the position of Armenia and the approval of protocol come up on the agenda, it creates a stir in domestic policy. We have similar problems in the U.S. Senate. But in legal terms, we think that the decision is only giving a green light to the approval of the protocol and that there is nothing else to read into it. Moreover, Armenian government has also stated that it stands by the protocol.

N.B.: Could Turkey get a written assurance?

J.J.: We are trying to understand what both sides exactly want. We would like to understand how the spirit of the protocol comes across.

N.B.: Do you mean mediation? Could there be a way out soon?

J.J.: It is not being a mediator. We are in touch with all parties only. Everyone exerts efforts.

The relevant amendments to an Armenian law on international treaties envisage the suspension or termination of agreements signed by Yerevan before their entry into force.

President Serzh Sarkisian announced his intention to enact such amendments in December in response to Turkish leaders’ continuing statements making the ratification of the Turkish-Armenian “protocols” conditional on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh. He made clear that Yerevan will walk away from the deal if Ankara fails to implement it within a “reasonable” time frame.

The parliament overwhelmingly passed the amendments in the first reading, with only one of its factions, the opposition Zharangutyun party, voting against them. Zharangutyun lawmakers, who have been strongly opposed to the protocols, said Armenian law and international conventions signed by Yerevan already allow for the abrogation of international treaties.

Deputies from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the other opposition party represented in the parliament, also criticized the amendments but chose to vote for them. “It contains necessary but insufficient formulations,” one of them, Artsvik Minasian, said before the vote. He said not only the president of the republic but also the parliament must be empowered to invalidate international agreements.

Armen Rustamian, another ARF lawmaker who chairs the parliament committee on foreign affairs, said the National Assembly should also be given the right to ratify them with “reservations.”

“Voting against them means being against the use of this necessary tool by Armenia,” Rustamian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “We need to have such a tool.”

The amendments were included on the parliament agenda just days after Sarkisian formally sent the two Turkish-Armenian protocols to the parliament for ratification. Leaders of the parliament’s pro-presidential majority have repeatedly stated that the protocols will not be put to a vote before their ratification by the Turkish parliament.

Ruben Safrastyan, the director of the Oriental Studies Institute at Armenia’s Academy of Sciences

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)—There is an internal war being waged in Turkey between its secular military and Islamist rooted government and that conflict may prompt another military coup in the country, a leading Armenian expert on Turkey said Tuesday, adding that the increased tension may bring an end to the Western-backed Turkey-Armenia normalization process.

“There is an internal war taking place in Turkey,” said Ruben Safrastyan, the director of the Oriental Studies Institute at Armenia’s Academy of Sciences. He was referring to the ongoing Ergenekon investigation, launched in 2007, against a clandestine group with links to the army accused of seeking to topple the Islamist government.

Speaking to reporters in Yerevan, Safrastyan, was quoted by Armenian Public Radio as saying that recent developments in the Ergenekon case could likely lead to a fifth attempt at a military takeover and Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) would try and “use this situation to continue dragging out the process of ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols.”

“The possibility of a military coup is not great, but if there is one, there will be a lot of victims,” he said. “Under these circumstances would the US continue pressuring Turkey to ratify the protocols?”  

“Washington may understand that the Armenian-Turkish relations may further strain the situation and I do not rule out the possibility that they may stop pressuring the government to ratify its agreements with Armenia,” Safrastyan said, adding that the US is “closely watching the developments in Turkey” and could intervene in “one way or another” if it escalates.

The Turkish military sees itself as the guardian of the pro-Western, secular, form of government established by the Turkish Republic’s founder, Kemal Ataturk. The army has overthrown elected governments four times in the country’s modern history (1960, 1971, 1980, 1997), imposing or re-imposing its own brand of political correctness on the nation.  

The AKP party this week dramatically upped the stakes in its showdown with the military by detaining more than 50 current and former military commanders. The detentions have electrified Turkey as the most sweeping move to date by the AK to redefine the Turkish republic by challenging the traditional dominance of the military.

On February 22, 21 generals were detained, including former navy chief Admiral Ozden Ornek, former air force chief General Ibrahim Firtina, and former 1st Army commander General Ergin Saygun. Most of the others detained were colonels. The arrests are linked to a plan by Ergenekon members to carry out a military coup against the party in 2003.

Code-named “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer), the plot allegedly involved plans to spark unrest by bombing two major mosques in Istanbul and staging an assault on a military museum by attackers disguised as Islamic fundamentalists.

Safrastyan said the growing clampdown has broken the unity of Turkey’s military. He did not, however, give concrete predictions of what he thought would unfold as a result. “The processes are still developing, and today it’s hard to say what is going to happen.”

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—Armenia’s National Assembly began debating on Tuesday a government bill that would make it easier for Armenia to annul its normalization agreements with Turkey if Ankara continues to delay their ratification.

The proposed amendments to an Armenian law on international treaties envisage the suspension or termination of agreements signed by Yerevan before their entry into force.

President Serzh Sarkisian announced his intention to enact such amendments in December in response to Turkish leaders’ continuing statements making the ratification of the Turkish-Armenian “protocols” conditional on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh. He made clear that Yerevan will walk away from the deal if Ankara fails to implement it within a “reasonable” time frame.

Addressing the parliament, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian effectively admitted that the amendments were drafted on Sarkisian’s orders. “The president of the republic made a statement on and I have nothing to add to it,” he said.

The bill was included on the parliament agenda just days after Sarkisian formally sent the two protocols to the parliament for ratification. But the National Assembly and its committee on foreign relations are in no rush to debate the documents envisaging the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey and opening of their border.

A spokesman for Republican Party of Armenia, which has a clear majority in the assembly, on Tuesday again made clear that it will not vote on the protocols before their ratification by the Turkish parliament. Like other Armenian officials, Eduard Sharmazanov again avoided setting any deadlines for Turkish ratification.

David Harutiunian, the chairman of the parliament committee on legal affairs, said Yerevan may wait for “one or two or several months” before deciding whether to discontinue the normalization process. “It’s not possible to give a definite answer at this point. It depends on many processes,” Harutiunian told journalists when asked what the Armenian side means by a “reasonable timeframe.”

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly reiterated on Monday that Turkey will not implement the protocols unless there is a breakthrough in international efforts to settle the Karabakh conflict.

ANKARA (Hurriyet)—The European Union’s special representative to Central Asia on Friday said he expected to see Armenia becoming a route for a future energy pipeline if Yerevan and Ankara quickly move to normalize relations and open their sealed border.

“There have been different options. Things have not been fixed up to now. The greatest idea to say is well, in the future, why not use Armenia as a way for other pipelines,” Pierre Morel told the Turkish Hurriyet Daily in an interview.

Morel said he saw many options for new Caspian-Turkish energy pipelines due to the “mobile energy landscape” and predicted that Armenia could be the site of a future network.

“There have been different ideas about the energy routes. The southern corridor is not just Nabucco, but a wider concept,” he said. “It is also about transportation. We have to move transportation to the Caucasus.”

The Nabucco pipeline is an EU-led and US-backed project aimed at transporting Middle Eastern and Caspian gas through Turkey to Europe in an effort to break the Russian monopoly over regional energy supplies.

“But once again look at what the other corridors are,” Morel said. “A corridor is not one pipeline. A corridor is a system of pipelines. For sure, when the southern corridor takes shape, you’ll have a system of pipelines.”

Morel said, “Nabucco is going through a good phase and has been moving through important steps” following the signing of an inter-governmental agreement in Ankara last summer.

“Many said Nabucco was a dream … [But] this was done and Turkey played an important role. We’re coming step-by-step toward concretization,” he said.

One of the major obstacles for Nabucco is a lack of gas earmarked for transit. Morel said northern Iraq could be a potential source while emphasizing hesitations over Iranian gas.

“We have had more discussions today about northern Iraq as a potential source of gas for Nabucco. [Meanwhile,] there are question marks connected with Iran, not only political questions, but the context of the Iranian energy policy, which has been rather specific,” he said.

Morel held discussions at parliament as well as the foreign and prime ministries regarding Caspian energy, the southern corridor, Central Asian developments and the Turkish-Russian relationship.

Commenting on Azerbaijan’s energy policy, Morel said it had become clear the country was trying to keep its options open.

Baku signed a deal with Russian energy giant Gazprom last year to transfer 500 million cubic meters of gas to Europe in the first phase of the Shah Deniz gas field. The agreement, which followed the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia, was regarded as an ultimatum to Ankara and a blow to the Nabucco plan.

“[Azerbaijan] is sending signals to their different partners,” Morel said, adding that the country is also trying to send signals to Turkey, the EU and Russia. “The 500-cubic-meter agreement they signed with Russia is specific, not long-term. It is for one time, but it is also a signal.”

He said all the major European energy companies presently operating in Azerbaijan were following the developments “very closely.”

Chairman of the parliament’s foreign relations committee Armen Rustamian, who represents the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, said he plans to urge parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamian to remove the protocols discussion from the agenda, until his committee has had a chance to review and offer recommendations.

During preliminary discussions of the protocols on Friday the key parliamentary committee dominated by pro-government lawmakers decided to set up a five-member group to work out, within a week, a procedure in which the protocols will be discussed by the body, reported RFE/RL.

Prior to the committee meeting, a group representing political forces opposing to protocols met with parliament members the Republican and Prosperous Armenia parties, which hold the majority of the seats in parliament.

The opposition delegation included the ARF, Armenia’s Ramkavar Party, Armenia’s Democratic Party, the “New Times” party, as well as “Mayr Hairenik,” “Goyamart” and “Haigandoukht” parties.

In discussing the parliamentary phase of the Armenia-Turkey protocols, the discussion participants agreed to reconvene for future consultations.

The parliamentary press office also announced Friday that draft amendments to Armenia’s Law ‘On International Treaties’ have been placed on the legislative agenda.

Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan was present at the meeting to put forth the amendments, which concern the suspension or termination of procedures related to the signing of international treaties and agreements.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian spoke about planned changes in the law last December. He emphasized then that Armenia “will resort to corresponding steps” if Turkey, with which it signed diplomatic agreements last October, attempts to protract their ratification, reported RFE/RL.

“I want to clarify to avoid creating the impression that the meaning of the changes is that there is a decision that we should quickly quit [the process],” Kocharyan explained in presenting the bill, reported RFE/RL.

“The Armenian side sincerely seeks to implement the protocols. On the other hand, we will never tolerate this whole process being used for advancing preconditions,” he warned.

The recently signed protocols between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey call for a sub-commission with the vaguely defined task of looking into existing historical problems for an impartial examination of historical records and archives. The stated purpose is to restore mutual confidence between the two nations. Although no express reference is made in the protocols, there is an almost universal agreement that the Turkish side would use the sub-commission as a vehicle for perpetuating its denial of the Armenian Genocide and casting doubt on the validity of the massive body of evidence establishing it as genocide.

While the Turkish government, in keeping with a long-standing state policy, continues to make every effort to question and deny the veracity of the Armenian Genocide, President Serge Sarkisian has on a number of occasions asserted that the genocide and loss of Armenian patrimony cannot be questioned; that the genocide is a known truth and must be recognized and condemned; and that the reality of the genocide can in no way become a subject of discussion as part of the agenda of the sub-commission.

The Society for Armenian Studies hereby firmly states that the Armenian Genocide is an undeniable fact, established through dispassionate, meticulous, and multilingual archival research by a great number of experts, most of whom belong to respectable scholarly bodies of renowned authorities such as the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) and our own Society for Armenian Studies. The veracity of the Armenian Genocide cannot and must not be subject to discussion or to political give and take.

The Society for Armenian Studies was founded in 1974 by a group of scholars from the universities of California, Columbia, and Harvard on the initiative of Richard G. Hovannisian, Dickran Kouymjian, Nina Garsoian, Avedis Sanjian, and Robert Thomson. It is dedicated to the development of Armenian studies as an academic discipline.
The SAS Secretariat is located at the Armenian Studies Program of California State University, Fresno.

Click here for more information.

According to official’s, Erdogan and Clinton had met to discuss Turkey-Armenia relations, Iran, Cyprus peace talks, the Middle East, the war on terror, economic ties, and Iraq.

The fight was reported to have broken out between the US ambassador to Qatar and an advisor to the Turkish prime minister at the end of the meeting between Clinton and Erdogan.

The altercation took place after the US envoy entered the room to remind those present to close the meeting as the time was over.

In response, Erdogan’s adviser said, “It is not for you to judge the importance of our meeting, you offend our country,” Zaman quoted the official as saying.

The quarrel led to physical confrontation and the two diplomats were separated, but with difficulty, the paper added.

The Meeting

Diplomatic sources said Turkey’s rapprochement with Armenia and Iran’s nuclear program were heavily focused on during the meeting. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will visit Iran on Monday. He has said he is optimistic about further diplomatic steps.

Armenia’s constitutional court’s decision was also discussed at the meeting. The Turkish delegation said Turkey had fulfilled its responsibilities and that the Armenian court’s ruling had hampered the process.

The Turkish delegation also emphasized that Turkey considered the Armenian issue a part of the normalization process in the Caucasus and called on the Minsk Group to undertake a more active role.

The parties highlighted the importance of the continuation of the negotiation process in Cyprus.

They also agreed that cooperation in the fight against terrorism should be maintained.

Turkish State Minister Zafer Caglayan will pay an official visit to the United States in the coming weeks under an economic partnership program between the two countries.

During the meeting, Clinton said she shared Erdogan’s sensitivity about the situation in Gaza.

YEREVAN (Yerkir)—The chairman of the Armenian parliament’s foreign relations committee Armen Rustamian announced Thursday that his committee will begin discussions on the Armenia-Turkey protocols, which were submitted for ratification last week.

Rustamian, who is also the chairman of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Council of Armenia, said that the committee will appeal to Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan to deliberate on the protocols taking into consideration the report of the foreign relations parliamentary committee.

Speaking at a press briefing, Rustamian criticized statements made by Sarkisian last week in London, where the president said that he, as the leader of the majority party, would guarantee the ratification of the protocols.

“This does not bode well for our country’s reputation. What does it mean to guaranteeing processes within the legislative branch?” said Rustamian, who emphasized that there was separation of powers within Armenia.

Rustamian said the ARF bloc will present its objections, which should be used to amend the protocols, since in their current state they pose dangers to Armenia’s future.

“We will support the ratification of the protocols with the necessary amendments based on our objections, which will correspond to the conclusions of the Constitutional Court,” said Rustamian, referencing Armenia’s high court conclusion that the protocols cannot be linked to the Karabakh conflict resolution nor will they impact Armenia’s continued pursuit of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

“In the event that the objections are not included, the ARF will propose to return the protocols and resubmit them to parliament with the objections,” explained Rustamian.

A five-language (Armenian, English, Russian, French, Spanish) Web site has been established, through which the electronic letters can be dispatched to the members of parliament. The Web address is www.notoprotocols.net

“In their present form, the protocols satisfy two preconditions set by Turkey for normalizing its relations with Armenia, namely giving up any land claims from Turkey and effectively abandoning the pursuit of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Moreover, the ratification process of the protocols satisfies Turkey’s third precondition of making Armenia-Turkey relations conditional upon the resolution of the Artsakh issue,” said an appeal issued by the ARF in announcing this campaign.

All Armenians are urged to immediately take part in this campaign and make their voices heard by sending an email appeal via notoprotocols.net.

This campaign is designed to join the voices of all Armenians–Diaspora and homeland–heard on this matter and to emphasize that all Armenians have a stake in Armenia’s national interests.

The resolution (H.Res. 252) calls on the President of the United States to properly acknowledge the historical record on the Armenian Genocide. It is slated for a vote in the US House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 4.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the issue was taken up in detail during Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu’s meetings in Washington this week. Sinirlioglu was in the Swiss capital of Bern last week meeting with officials on the issue, as well. The Turkish official had been tasked with securing support from the two Western capitals for Turkey’s efforts to force Armenia to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and agree to a historical commission to examine the Genocide.

“We are exerting efforts for a comprehensive peace in the Caucasus,” said Davutoglu. He warned, however, that attempts to recognize the Armenian Genocide in Congress would harm this objective and called for such initiatives to come to a halt, within reasonable limits.

The issue was also discussed during Davutoglu’s telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to diplomatic sources who said Washington was informed of the resolution’s potential to harm bilateral relations with the United States.

YEREVAN –In an interview with the Al Jazeera News Network conducted on Feb. 12, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian said he “absolutely” wants President Barack Obama to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Answering a question about Obama’s campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Sarkisian said Obama had followed up on his pledge but “not to the extent he had promised before he became the president. But he stated unequivocally that he hasn’t changed his mind.” Responding to a follow-up question on whether Sarkisian wants Obama to use the word “genocide” in reference to 1915, Sarkisian said, “Absolutely.”

Speaking about the protocols, Sarkisian said it is the Turkish side that is stalling the process, noting that “as the leader of the political force which currently holds parliamentary majority, I rule out any possibility of the Armenian Parliament not ratifying the protocols if they are ratified by the Turks without preconditions.”

During the interview, Sarkisian reiterated that Russia and Armenia are “strategic partners” and that the Armenian American community serves as a bridge for good relations with the U.S.

Below is the full text of the interview.

Mr. President, the Turkish side claims that the Armenian side protracts the process. What are the next steps after the protocols have been ratified by the parliaments of both countries? What kind of, so to speak, “happy ending” would you like to see for this process?

At the moment, the protocols are at the Presidential Office, and as soon as I am back to Yerevan, I will submit them to the National Assembly to start the process of ratification. We are surprised, as actually everybody else is, that the Turks think or claim that we are dragging our feet on the process of ratification. On the contrary, it is quite obvious that the Turkish side is protracting the process.

The Turkish side is protracting the process?

Yes, undoubtedly, because we have stated many times—and the last time it was yesterday—when I said that as the leader of the political force which currently holds parliamentary majority, I rule out any possibility of the Armenian Parliament not ratifying the protocols if they are ratified by the Turks without preconditions.

Mr. President, what is next? After the protocols have been ratified by the Armenian and Turkish sides, what is the next step to bring the entire process to its conclusion and normalize relations between the two countries?

After the ratification of the protocols and their entry into force, the border must be opened. After that an intergovernmental commission will be established along with its sub-commissions, and we will start the dialogue. Thus, by ratifying the protocols we are not concluding the process but rather we are launching a process.

Actually, for you the ratification or opening of the border are important for the purposes of trade as well as for obtaining an outlet to the outer world. Do you think that the border opening is important for other countries too, for instance for Russia or the United States?

I believe, yes. That’s the reason why the U.S., Russia, and the European Union support this process. It is not only about opening the border, it is about establishing relations.

Are you going to deepen your relations with the United States and Russia, since you are between these two “worlds”?

Yes, we have very good relations with the Russian Federation. We are strategic partners. We both are present in many structures, and our relations continue to deepen. We also have good relations with the United States. The U.S. is home to many Armenians who serve as a natural bridge in our relations with America. The best situation for us is when the U.S. and Russia maintain good relations.

As you rightly mentioned, many Armenians live in the U.S. as well as all over the world. Many Armenians have left Armenia, and today they are supporting their families from abroad. Do you think of bringing them back to Armenia, somehow?

Certainly, and not only those Armenians who are supporting their families and the Armenian economy, who left Armenia after independence, but also those Armenians who were spread all over the world in the wake of the Armenian Genocide. Armenians help and assist us from every corner of the world. In our estimate, today there are over 10 million Armenians in the world, and only 3 million are residing in the Republic of Armenia. We would be happy if the other 7 million come back to Armenia. We, of course, understand that it is hardly to happen. However, we want every Armenian born in Armenia to come back.

What would you say of a president of the United States who says, “America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that president”? Barack Obama said that. Is he responding? Is he the kind of president that will?

Yes, he did respond. Of course not to the extent he had promised before he became the president. But he stated unequivocally that he hasn’t changed his mind.

Does it mean, you continue to anticipate his assistance?

Well, if you mean that to articulate the word “genocide” or to speak about genocide is assistance, then it can be put that way, yes. I believe that it means to accept the truth, to speak the truth.

Do you want him to say that word?

Absolutely.

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenian Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamian on Monday formally put the two protocols on establishing diplomatic ties and developing bilateral relations with Turkey into ‘circulation’ within the Armenian legislature and appointed the standing foreign relations committee as the key body on matters related to the documents.

It is yet unknown when the committee headed by a representative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the main opponent of the protocols, will start discussions of the protocols.

A member of ARF’s parliamentary faction Artyusha Shahbazian told RFE/RL that “putting [the protocols] into circulation does not yet mean that they will quickly enter the plenary session of parliament.”

President Serzh Sarkisian late last week submitted to parliament a package of protocols signed with Turkey last October. He thus followed on his earlier promise made while on a visit to London to make that step.

Speaking at the Chatham House British Royal Institute of International Affairs in London on Wednesday Sarkisian stressed that as the political leader of the Armenian parliamentary majority he excluded “a failure by Armenia’s parliament to ratify the protocols in case of their ratification by Turkey without preconditions in accordance with our understandings.”

The two diplomatic protocols signed by Yerevan and Ankara in October do not contain a provision on the timeframe for their ratifications in parliaments. Armenia has all along insisted on the ratification of the deal within “a reasonable timeframe”, a position repeatedly backed by senior officials of the international supporters of the process, including the United States. Leaders in Yerevan, however, have also indicated that they expect Turkey to take the step first. Ankara, however, has repeatedly linked its actions to a pro-Azeri settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,

Samvel Nikoyan, a senior member of President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party and a deputy speaker of the National Assembly, finds that Armenia should continue its “policy of initiative” even in the matter of ratifying the protocols, which were submitted to the legislative body late last week and were formally put ‘into circulation’ within it on Monday.

“Three variants of the ratification process are possible. The first is if the ratification [in both parliaments] proceeds simultaneously, the second is if [Armenia] wait until the protocols are ratified in the Turkish parliament and the third is if we try to continue our policy of initiative also at the stage of ratification,” said Nikoyan at a press conference on Tuesday. “I think it will be more correct if Armenia continues its policy of initiative.”

The senior Armenian lawmaker called it unacceptable and wrong to set a specific period for the ratification of the normalization agreements.

“Some set March or April as deadlines. Should we give up the ratification if we are positive that it will take place in May? We should closely follow the processes to see if they are going in the positive direction, stalling or rolling back,” said Nikoyan.

The Armenian National Committee of America stands for open and inclusive community representation.

It is in this spirit that the ANCA has consistently worked to foster direct Armenian American dialogue with America’s leaders, not simply for ourselves or for those who share our perspectives, but for all the leading organizations that, together, represent the rich fabric of our community.

Such an approach reflects both our deep respect for our community’s diversity and our equally profound belief in our community’s unity of purpose on the central challenges facing the Armenian nation. Unfortunately, recent developments – related to a proposed community meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – have shown, that some others who strive to speak in our community’s name do not share this faith in our community’s basic decency, devotion, and common sense.

The controversy surrounding this meeting, while unnecessary and counterproductive, has, at the very least, served some useful purpose in providing our community with new insights into the significant distinctions between the ANCA and the Armenian Assembly – distinctions that reflect fundamentally different approaches to advocacy.

The ANCA operates as an inclusive organization, reaching deep into our community, building consensus around shared values, and bringing people together across all of our geographic, demographic, religious, and civic affiliations.  The Assembly, by way of contrast, operates in an exclusive manner, representing a small and increasingly isolated circle, largely gathered around a single major benefactor.  These differences matter.  They impact how our two groups work and the results that we achieve on issues ranging from our core advocacy agenda to the waiver of Section 907, the Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission, the Hoagland nomination and the Turkey- Armenia Protocols.  Nowhere are these differences more evident today than in how the ANCA and Assembly, with the support of leaders of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, have handled the proposed meeting with Secretary Clinton.

While the Armenian Assembly has, throughout this process, coveted its access to the powerful by seeking to control and limit participation in this meeting, the ANCA has eagerly offered to share its place at the table with all our community partners.  We understand, as a grassroots group, that our community grows stronger by opening doors to dialogue, not by closing them.  We add to our power, respect and influence, not by who we exclude, but by broadening the scope and depth of civic engagement by all aspects of our community.

Provided below are the facts of this matter, all drawn from the ANCA’s public record of advocacy on behalf of Armenian Americans:

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The ANCA has, since the days leading up to President Barack Obama’s inauguration, openly and consistently sought to schedule opportunities for a broad representation of the Armenian American community to meet personally with the President and also with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to discuss issues of concern to Armenian American voters.

The Armenian Assembly, by way of contrast, refused to take part in the community-wide inaugural letter to President Obama, signed by over 20 leadership organizations, and has, since then, only requested meetings for itself, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Diocese of the Armenian Church, and the Knights of Vartan.  Each of these organizations represents a vital and valued voice, but they clearly do not represent a full cross-section of our community.  Among the groups excluded by the Assembly and the AGBU were the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical communities, the Armenian Relief Society, and other grassroots membership organizations.

On August 20, 2009, the ANCA, in a letter that was subsequently released to the public, requested that Secretary Clinton schedule a “personal meeting between you and the Armenian American community’s civic, religious, and charitable leaders.”  This request was restated in an ANCA letter to the Secretary, dated September 30, 2009, and in a series of subsequent ANCA meetings with senior Administration officials.  The ANCA’s efforts to secure a community-wide leadership meeting with the Secretary was also supported by several members of Congress, most notably Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who, in an October 20, 2009 letter, specifically called upon Secretary Clinton “to meet directly with Armenian American groups” to discuss the “serious nature of the community’s concerns” about the Turkey-Armenia Protocols.  

On November 17, 2009, the ANCA, upon learning from Administration officials that a meeting with Secretary Clinton was in the process of being arranged, sent letters to a broad-based group of more than 20 Armenian American leadership organizations – including the Armenian Assembly and the AGBU – alerting them to this development and recommending that “we coordinate among ourselves, in the days leading up to such a meeting, to ensure that our community delivers a unified message and establishes a clear and commonly-held set of expectations for Secretary Clinton and the Obama-Biden Administration.”  The letter also suggested that the groups “meet together prior to any such meeting to make arrangements for a productive exchange with the Secretary.”

On January 8, 2010, the ANCA was formally invited to meet with Secretary Clinton and was informed that the four other groups invited to this consultation were the Armenian Assembly of America, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern and Western U.S.), and the Knights of Vartan.

On January 11, 2010, the ANCA wrote a letter to Secretary Clinton, the contents of which we immediately shared publicly with the Armenian American community, calling upon her to broaden her initial round of five invitations in order to ensure an open and inclusive meeting that allowed for full expression of the Armenian American perspective.

In this letter, the ANCA made the following points:

– The ANCA has long sought to arrange meetings for the community’s traditional leadership with the Secretary of State, consistent with the President’s campaign pledge to lead an Administration that actively engages Armenian American leaders.

– The ANCA’s aim in seeking such meetings is to help ensure that America’s leaders benefit from an open dialogue with our community regarding U.S. policy on Armenian issues, particularly those, such as the Protocols, that directly impact the rights of U.S. citizens of Armenian heritage.

– The ANCA believes that meetings of this nature should include the community’s broad-based advocacy, civic, religious, and charitable leadership, not simply those that hold a particular point of view – on the Protocols, or any other issue.

– The exclusion of many important groups in the Secretary’s initial round of invitations, including a large number aligned against the State Department-supported Protocols, sets a dangerous precedent that, in the future, invitations for such meetings will be, in large part, reserved for those who endorse the Administration’s policies.

– The five organizations in the Secretary’s first round of invitations represent a partial and unrepresentative sample of the Armenian American community’s traditional leadership.  This broader group, comprised of advocacy, civic, religious, charitable, and other organizations, met with President Clinton in 1994 and has, collectively, signed a series of letters to the White House over the past two decades, including as recently as President Obama’s inauguration.

In the days and weeks since the Secretary’s invitation, the ANCA has sought, both publicly and privately, to work with the Department of State and with our community partners to reach a fair, inclusive, and workable solution.  We have, in these efforts, faced considerable interference and opposition from the Assembly and leaders of the AGBU, but remain confident that we will succeed in ensuring that the Armenian American community’s views are accurately and assertively represented to Secretary Clinton and the entire U.S. government.

Two weeks ago, it was announced that the U.S. State Department had invited a select group of Armenian American organizations to a meeting to discuss the Turkish-Armenian protocols and related topics, leaving out several other organizations. On many occasions, the Armenian Relief Society, which will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its humanitarian work this year, has participated in discussions with the U.S. administration on matters of central importance to Armenians. Therefore, the ARS wrote an official letter to the State Department requesting, as the largest women’s organization in the U.S. and the Armenian Diaspora, to participate in the meeting.

In the past few days, we were surprised to learn from the press that the AGBU leadership in the U.S. had expressed its opposition to the participation of the ARS in this meeting. The news was followed by a press release circulated by the Armenian Assembly—and bearing the signature of the AGBU as well—regarding the meeting with the State Department and Armenian American representation with convoluted language.

Whereas the Turkish-Armenian protocols are not an issue of concern to solely this or that Armenian organization or group, as they deal with a central national matter,

Whereas the right to decide on the Armenian community’s representatives to meet with the U.S. administration is up to Armenian Americans as a whole, and no organization, group, or individual can reserve to themselves the right to choose those representatives, thereby playing a divisive role in the community,

Whereas discussing such issues behind closed doors complicates matters and lends itself to unnecessary polemics,

Whereas the ARS has always been and will continue to be open with the people and has nothing to hide from it,

We therefore ask the leadership of the AGBU and the Armenian Assembly to publicly clarify their position regarding the ARS.

In our letter addressed to the U.S. State Department, we did not ask to replace any organization and we did not make any allegations about any organization. It is our sincere hope that the reports about the position of the AGBU, the positions expressed on its behalf, and the attributions made to the AGBU regarding the steps it has taken, are untrue. We hope that it will become clear that this episode is nothing more than an effort by non-Armenian circles to impose the ratification of the protocols on the Armenians and Armenia, and to sow divisions among Armenian Americans on the eve of the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. We also hope that the necessary corrections will ensue.

ARS Central Executive
Feb. 11, 2010